I Think You Might Be Superman
by Mamaverd
Summary: Three weeks apart seems like an eternity for Sam and Andy. However, time and space will be bridged by an unlikely source, who after 3 weeks most definitely believes in Super Heroes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place after 2x13. Sam and Andy are suspended from work for 3 weeks, therefore unable to see each other. Thanks to DCJ for the inspiration, no matter how far I may have diverted from her original idea. This first chapter is mostly recapping the last few episodes and everything leading up to Sam's current state of mind. Lines borrowed from the show are in quotes and italics.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue or any of it characters. If I did, we would never have to wait this long for a new season.**

**I Think You Might Be Superman**

**Chapter 1-Missing Her**

Flashback

"_You, ah working the afternoon shift?" Sam asked._

"_No, I already told you, I took the day off to finalize my mortgage."_

"_Right, right, so which one did you buy?" he asked regretfully._

"_The one on the corner, with all the windows. I actually showed Sam all of the pictures before he disappeared." She teased._

"_I remember, it's beautiful."_

"_Thanks. You want to come?" she asked sounding so hopeful._

God how he wished he could have left with her that day. He would have gone anywhere with her. He remembered her walking out the door that day and making a silent prayer for the op to be over quickly. He didn't even know why he had agreed to this UC case. Ok, he knew why. He loved the adventure of undercover work but that was not the reason. He was frustrated. He'd finally admit it, if only to himself. Andy and Luke had been broken up for a month and a half. He wasn't sure what the mourning period was but he didn't care anymore. He wanted her so badly and he knew there was something between them but at this point he couldn't just sit around and pine after her anymore. This would be the perfect opportunity to get her out of his system. _Time and space, how ironic._

* * *

><p>The day he found out about the assignment from Boyd, was the day they caught the case of the missing boy. He had told her about him going under cover. She did seem a bit flustered, disappointed maybe, but typical Andy, never really one to put herself out there. All she would have had to do was say, "Stay", or "I'm gonna miss you", anything, and he would have told Boyd to kiss his ass. But nothing. Then they found the boy, and as he approached the crash site where he had left Andy with the victim, his heart was in his throat. The car was burned down to the shell and Andy was nowhere to be seen. He remembered calling for her, trying to keep his voice from cracking. When he heard her call his name back he felt joy he never knew possible. Even better, she looked equally happy to see him. Emotions were running high. He wanted to kiss her and it almost looked like she wanted to kiss him, and they had leaned in as if they would but she pulled back ever so slightly at the last minute and the moment was gone. That's when he knew. He <strong>had<strong> to take this op; he had to get away from Andy and try to return to some semblance of the man he used to be. The man whose life wasn't consumed with his doe eyed, dark haired, beautiful former rookie. _Out of sight, out of mind. Yeah right._

* * *

><p>So, he assumed the life of JD, bad ass drug smuggler. He did the work he was supposed to and was friendly enough for the others to begin to trust him. He made fast friends with Jaime Brennan, so when he asked JD if he wanted to grab a few beers and shoot a little pool, he was in. The night was uneventful until Jaime yelled over for him to play another round. When he turned around to see Andy and Traci as their next opponents, it took every fiber of his being not to spit his beer on the guy sitting next to him. He kept it together,….. barely. It had been a few weeks since he had seen her and God did he miss her. Later that night, watching her leave, after he made it clear that she should not stay around there, was one of the most desperate moments he had ever felt, only to be followed up by her coming back and him having to send her away, again.<p>

"_Then I'm gone." _ She had said.

He had actually felt his heart break as she walked out for the second time that night. Lucky for him, his mark was a criminal with a heart of gold and convinced him to seize the opportunity. He grabbed his jacket and ran not walked to the front of the bar. When he put his hand on her shoulder he could barely contain his excitement and the smile Andy returned had his heart leaping from his chest. They made their way to his cover apartment, both anxious and neither saying too much. He had every intention of calling her a cab and sending her back to the station. His dilemma consumed his thoughts the entire way to his place. Until they walked in….. Then he was a goner. They were alone, she wanted to be with him and no amount of undercover training could make him lie well enough for either of them to actually think that a cab would be a good idea. He made a half-hearted attempt but only one word escaped her lips as she walked farther into his apartment. "No."

He wasn't sure what was making his whole body tingle at that point, was it that No, she refused to leave? Or No, by the way, I'm unbuttoning my shirt? Didn't matter, he was in front of her in a few short steps, holding her jacket in between them as a makeshift force field.

"_If you don't leave now, there's no going back."_ He couldn't bear to go through another change of heart like the night of the blackout. It would destroy him.

"_I don't wanna go back."_ She said in almost a whisper. _Oh thank God._

Those few words were the start of the best night of his life. Being with Andy was like a dream come true. Unfortunately, as night turned into early morning, they both realized that she had to leave. Reluctantly, they said their goodbyes and Andy went back to the station to get into her uniform, while Sam tried to pretend that she hadn't changed his life that night, forever.

* * *

><p>Over the next week Andy went back to work as usual, and Sam resumed his role as JD, the criminal. He thought about her every night and could only hope that she was thinking about him and having no regrets. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have sent her back to the station that night. However, this was Andy, his former rookie, his partner and the love of his life. His head was never quite clear when he was around her. He knew they had been <strong>irresponsible and stupid<strong>. Still, less than a week later, he had reached his limit of being without her. He called her on her cell. She was at the Penny and it was extremely loud but somehow she made out his words,

"Candace, its JD. I'd love to see you again."

"I'm leaving now." He heard her giggle into the phone. He could almost picture the smile on her face and by the sound of her voice he could tell she had missed him too.

Their first time together had been slow. Everything was new and senses were heightened. Unlike the night of the blackout which was more about need, their first time together was all about love and taking the time to experience each other. It was about _feelings_ and _feeling_. Tonight was **not **like that night. As soon as JD opened the door they were fused together at the lips. This time it was more about heat and desperation. They never expected to miss each other that much. It had barely been a week but the need was just too great. _**Irresponsible and stupid, take two.**_

Andy had recapped the wild karaoke singing at the Penny. Sam chuckled as he pictured his friends up on stage. He teased her a little, she gave it right back. He shared a little about himself, more than he normally would. Then she asked the question, _"Do you ever wish we were normal?"_ It sounded like a statement and a question all in one.

"_What do you mean? We are normal." _He stated fully knowing what she meant.

"_You know what I mean."_

He did. She wanted to be a normal man and woman who could be together like a normal couple. Not undercover, with secret identities and a possible sadistic killer lurking nearby.

He swallowed hard before speaking.

"_Andy if I could ask you to stay, I would."_ _In a heartbeat. Who was he kidding; he wanted her to stay forever._

"_Then ask me to stay. Just one night, I'll go home in the morning."_ He didn't really hear what she was saying after that, something about the cold, he wasn't sure how he answered. The only thoughts in his mind were, she wanted to stay, she had no regrets and she wanted to be with him. She didn't want to run. It took him about a millisecond to lean over her and ask her to stay. **Very irresponsible and very stupid, again.**

So, she had stayed the night and it was every bit as amazing as they hoped it would be. Not looking to push their luck any further, Andy quickly got dressed and prepared to leave the next morning, this time with the intent of no further contact until the op was over. Truly. However, fate was not on their side, and a knock at the door shook them both. Their eyes went wide and as the visitor announced himself as Brennan, they both felt a bit sick.

Some fairly good acting and a continuation of her Candace cover story seemed to be enough to appease Brennan who left them to enjoy their day. So they thought.

Andy left shortly after that, grinning from ear to ear as only a person in love would be. Sam was happier than he had ever been. However, hours later, both of their lives would be turned upside down. The division would realize that Sam was missing and a mad search would ensue.

Some amazing police work and a couple of good leads led them to the farmhouse where Brennan had Sam hostage. Andy was not allowed to participate in the arrest but Oliver would later tell Sam that Andy had begged to be able to be on scene. She had to know he was safe; she had to see for herself.

Fifteen minutes later, which seemed more like an eternity to everyone involved, Brennan was brought out in cuffs. His face was bruised and his expression serious, until he recognized "Candace" in her police blues and smirked at her panicked face. Andy stared him down and immediately looked past him to see a beaten and bloody Sam limping down the front stairs. His shirt was torn, his head bleeding and his face already bruising. He was relieved that she was okay, that he was okay. He was tired and in pain and just wanted to go home. He stared at her but words would just not come. He let out an exasperated "Hey" and he walked past her to Oliver's cruiser. He had noticed Andy's sigh as he stood in front of her. He imagined that it was relief but there was something else in her eyes. He knew how her mind worked and was pretty sure it was guilt but at this point he wasn't certain. She had nothing to feel guilty about. She had approached him at the Alpine but he could have and should have just let her walk away. He was as responsible as she was for this mess but if the tables were turned he probably would have felt the same way.

Back at the station after he showered and redressed it was all Sam could do not to beat Boyd within an inch of his life. Unfortunately, he was already on the shit list and too tired to waste his remaining energy on Donovan Boyd.

Noelle and Oliver cornered their friend and expressed their relief at finding him. Sam smiled half-heartedly, thinking of the mess that he and Andy were now, **stuck in the middle** of. _Me and my big mouth. _Sensing his worry, Noelle had recounted to Sam, Andy's actions once they had found out he was missing. As soon as she had heard the news, she had thrown her career and herself under the bus in a heartbeat. Anything to save him. Oliver described Andy's distressed state as she barged into his cover apartment, panic stricken and begging anyone to tell her what they knew. As much as his heart broke reflecting on his own near misses with her life in the balance, he felt a happiness to know that she cared about him so much and that she didn't want to lose what they had found either.

* * *

><p>He limped out to his truck and quickly brushed off the small accumulation off his windshield. He sat in his truck, waiting for the heater to warm him, a feat not possible tonight. He drove around to the front of the building and parked. He saw her walk out of the station doors, her bag slung over her shoulder, head down trying to shield herself from the cold and snow.<p>

"_Hey."_

She turned quickly, seemingly surprised at the voice. She timidly approached his vehicle. He asked her what happened and then recapped his own punishment. He wasn't surprised by her suspension and even less surprised by his own. But he didn't care. The only thing on his mind was her, being with her and hoping to God that despite the past few days' events nothing had changed between them.

"_Sam…..?"_ she looked at a loss for words. He wasn't sure if she wanted to apologize or ask for his forgiveness. Sam didn't care about either.

"_Wanna try being normal together?"_ he smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"_How are we gonna do that?"_ she asked

"_I dunno. I have no idea."_ They continued to smile at each other, suddenly making them feel immune to the cold.

She gave him a serious look. "I don't want to."

His head dropped down his eyes never leaving hers. She continued this time with a smile, "I understand that being normal is highly overrated."

"Is that so?" he grinned

"Yep."

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"I say we try to find normal for us." She sounded hopeful.

"Sounds like a plan." He stressed the last word.

"I thought you weren't a planner." She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not really, but for you, I'll make an exception." He winked.

"How long is your suspension?" she asked.

"Three weeks. You?" He asked.

"Same."

"Hop in, I'll drive you home."

"Sam, we can't…."

"Andy, it's just a ride, I promise….Despite how mad Frank was, he knew I needed a chance to talk to you first."

"Fine. Just a ride home, then we'll see each other in three weeks. Got it?" she asked half-heartedly.

"Got it. By the way, where are you living now?"

"Well, I never made my mortgage appointment, so I will be at Tracy's for a couple of days and then I'm gonna be at my dad's until I close on my condo. He is going to visit his brother for a couple of weeks."

"I see." He said, realizing that she missed her appointment because of what happened with him. He was lost in thought until he pulled up to Nash's.

"Thank you for the ride." She kept her eyes facing forward.

"No problem…I'm gonna miss you ya know."

She nodded trying not to give in to the tears that were trying to spill.

Sam was glad that she at least acknowledged what he said this time. He reached for her hand and her eyes finally looked over to meet his.

He couldn't help himself. He pulled her toward him with his good arm and kissed her. She responded immediately. It was gentle at first and then more desperate, as if it had to be burned into their brains for the next three weeks. And they both knew it did.

Finally they pulled away and Andy got out of his truck and headed for the stairs to Traci's home. Sam rolled down his window.

"Andy."

She turned around and walked back toward him.

"Yeah?"

"It's not that I don't like plans, I just didn't like that none of yours included me."

She grinned at his revelation. "Three weeks."

"Three weeks." He smiled back and slowly pulled away from the curb.

* * *

><p>So here he was, three days into his suspension. After getting the crap kicked out of him by Jaime Brennan he was more than happy to sleep it off with pain killers. However, three days of mending, three days of thinking about Andy without the hope of seeing her was about all he could handle. He had to make himself busy and stop the McNally fantasies or he would go crazy. It's not that he didn't want to think about her, but if he was being honest with himself, it was more painful to think about being away from her than the actual physical wounds of his torture.<p>

The doctor told him that he would have to keep the brace on his wrist for at least a month. The stitches in his face and along his hairline would be removed in a few days and otherwise he was beginning to feel more like himself. Sarah had offered to come down and take care of him but he really didn't want anyone watching over him and babying him. _Alright, maybe he could think of one person._

As he lay across his bed staring at the ceiling he started to make a mental list of things he could do. His own sort of "to do" list. He had to keep himself busy or he would go nuts. He figured cleaning would be the first thing on his list. His place had been empty for weeks and there was dust everywhere. He peeled himself off the duvet and threw on a t-shirt. He headed first to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. While he waited for it to brew, he wiped down all the counters and cabinets. He checked the fridge and was already running out of the few things he had bought the night he came home. He added a trip to the market to his mental list.

By 5:00pm every inch of his place had been cleaned and his fridge and pantry had been fully stocked. He sat on his sofa and flipped through the channels, watching but not really seeing anything. He turned the television off and reached for his portable phone. He knew the number he wanted to call but he wouldn't. He promised. He dialed Jerry's number instead.

"Hey Barber, I was thinking poker tonight, my place, what do you think?"

"Bored already?" he laughed.

"You have no idea."

"I'm up for poker. Hoping with your resistance a little low, I might have a chance to win some money."

"You're all heart."

"I'll call Shaw and let you know."

* * *

><p>That night after Jerry lost a bundle again, they cleaned up and started getting ready to leave.<p>

"Hey Sammy, if you're really that bored, I have some stuff that I want to do at my house. I got a couple of estimates but you're way more talented than any of these clowns."

"Did Jerry mention why the sudden urge to have Bob the Builder come over?" asked Shaw.

"Bob who?" Sam looked confused.

"Never mind. I asked Traci and Leo to move in with me and I just want everything to be completed before they move in. All my little projects that I started, I need to finish them and I just never make the time. I need shelves, painting done, I want to make…."

"I'll do it." Sam interrupted. "Whatever it is, I'll do it. Just give me a list, I'll pick up all the supplies, when do you want me to start?"

Sam's friends smiled at his eagerness. They knew how long Sam had been smitten with Andy McNally and knew that him not being able to see her or talk to her for three weeks after what had apparently gone on undercover had to be breaking him inside.

"I'm off tomorrow, how's that work for you?" Jerry asked.

"Tomorrow would be perfect."


	2. Chapter 2 I

A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews and alerts, you spoil me rotten. I know it has been forever since I updated. Illness had taken over my home but I am happy to report that we are now germ free.

I Think You Might Be Superman

Chapter 2-I'm good with tools

Sam woke up early, again. It was becoming a pattern recently. He would end up in bed early and then awake staring at the ceiling in the wee hours. He glanced over at his alarm clock. 5:15am. He knew that Jerry was always grateful for his help but pretty sure that if he showed up on his day off at 6am, he wouldn't be that pleased. He ate breakfast, and read the paper from cover to cover while he consumed the greater part of a pot of coffee. He quickly showered and got dressed in old jeans, a thermal and one of his trademark black t-shirts. He gathered up a variety of tools not really knowing the entirety of the job he had gotten himself into. He loaded everything in the bed of his truck and made the fifteen minute ride to Jerry's.

He knocked on the door and was surprised to be greeted, not by Jerry, but by a 7 year old boy.

"Hey buddy, is Jerry here?"

Jerry opened the door wider. "Leo, your mom and I have told you a million times, you can't open the door to a stranger."

"Sorry Jerry." He said timidly. "Please don't tell my mom. I won't do it again. I promise." A look of panic on his face.

"Alright kiddo, relax. Say hi to my friend Sam."

"Hi Sam, I'm Leo."

"Hey Leo. Nice to meet you." Sam reached out to shake the boy's hand.

"Hey Sam, come on in, I just put a pot of coffee on." Jerry told him.

"I'm okay right now. I think I might have met my caffeine quota for the day already." He chuckled.

The threesome made their way to the kitchen. Sam took a seat at the table. Leo brought a box of cereal to the table while Jerry grabbed a bowl and spoon from the cabinets. Leo sat down on the end staring at Sam intently until Jerry came over to pour milk in his bowl.

"So, how ya holding up? We really didn't get a chance to talk about it last night." Jerry asked.

"Jer, please. I try not to give Shaw too much ammunition to torment me about." He smirked.

"I know but….I don't just mean with….her. You've been through a lot."

Sam looked over at Leo's inquisitive eyes before responding.

"I'm good…...I'm fine. My body aches but I'll heal. The fact that we got Brennan will help ease the pain."

"What's funny Sam is that when I interviewed him, I got the impression that he actually liked you."

"Great." He deadpanned.

"Did you get in a fight?" the boy suddenly broke his silence.

"Sort of. " Sam didn't want Leo to picture his mom fighting with criminals.

"My mom says that if I need to fight, I should fight with my words and not my hands."

Sam smiled, "Your mom is a really smart lady."

"You know my mom?" he asked wide eyed.

"Yeah sure. We work together."

"Oh, you're a police too?"

"Yes I am." Sam looked up at Jerry who was indicating that he was gonna get work clothes on.

"I want to be a police when I get bigger too." Leo boasted.

"Good for you. Do you want to catch bad guys?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to protect people?"

"Yeah. But mostly I just want to be a superhero."

"A superhero?" Sam was confused.

"Yeah. My Aunt, she is a police too and her partner is a superhero." Leo's eyes were bulging out of his head.

"Who is your aunt?"

"My Aunt Andy. Do you know her?"

"Oh sure. I know Andy." He grinned. "But I didn't know that her partner was a superhero."

"Yep. He is. She told me."

"Really? What did she say?" his curiosity was killing him.

"Aunt Andy has been staying at our house for a while. She used to live in a different house with Luke but I think he probably got in trouble with his parents and now Aunt Andy doesn't want to live there anymore."

"Oh….. Why do you think his parents are upset?" Sam was confused.

"Cause I heard her tell mommy that he is a liar and I'm pretty sure he cheated on a test." _Priceless_

Sam cleared his throat so he wouldn't laugh.

"I see. So Andy has been staying with you?" so anxious to hear about anything regarding Andy.

"Yep. It has been awesome. She plays games with me and she makes the best macaroni and cheese and when I go to bed, sometimes she tells me a story….. about her superhero." He was whispering now.

Sam leaned in to hear him. "Sam I can tell you but I'm not allowed to tell Jerry or Mom or her partner could lose his powers."

"Don't worry buddy, I can keep a secret but only if you tell me some of the stories."

Suddenly Jerry walked in dressed in worn jeans and a t-shirt, a far cry from his Italian suits and shiny loafers. "Ready guys?"

Sam and Leo looked at each other. "Ready."

Jerry dragged Sam room to room explaining as they went, exactly what he wanted to do in each room. Sam made notes on a pad, took measurements and made a list of materials that they would need. The threesome made their way to Sam's truck and headed for the home improvement store.

"So, how did you end up with Leo and doesn't he have school?" Sam queried.

Today and tomorrow are staff development days so no school for the kids. Traci is on the day shift, so I offered to watch him. Figured I would give Traci's mom a break.

"Look at you, Mr. Domesticated."

"I can't help myself. I love her man, whatever I can do for her, I want to do it."

"I think it's great. I haven't seen you this happy in a really long time." Sam noticed.

"Thanks brother, I am."

Before they knew it, they were pulling in the parking lot of the home improvement warehouse. Sam grabbed a rolling cart and headed for lumber. Leo and Jerry headed to the paint department. Once Sam had everything he needed, he went to find the rest of his "crew". He came upon Jerry and Leo debating over which color green to paint Leo's new bedroom. Leo wanted bright jungle green, Jerry was looking at more subdued colors. Sam rolled his eyes at Jerry before turning to the paint samples to look for himself. Sam was in his own world or so Jerry would have guessed by the smile on Sam's face looking at paint chips.

"Sam!" he felt a shove of his shoulder and looked up.

"Yeah?"

"What are those, pink?" He scrunched his face at Sam in confusion. "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yep." He smiled. "All set."

* * *

><p>Since Leo wanted to help, they decided to make his new room the first project. The room had been used mostly for storage. They spent a good hour relocating the contents to the garage. Sam set up his tools and started cutting the molding, meanwhile Jerry and Leo taped around the windows and heaters. Sam effortlessly put up the moldings and spackled a few spots on the walls. While the walls were drying they put together two small shelf units that Sam would anchor to the wall. After everything was sanded and wiped down, they started to paint. Leo seemed to have more paint on himself than he had put on the walls but the men didn't seem to care. Once the rear wall was dry, Sam located the studs so he could attach the shelves. Leo had watched him curiously as he knocked on the walls and moved his hands up and down. He marked the walls accordingly. The digital stud finder in Sam's hand went unnoticed by his young helper.<p>

"How do you know where to hammer?" Leo asked curiously.

"He uses x-ray vision." Mocked Jerry

"Cool." Said Leo

With Jerry's help Sam hung the shelves. Even though Jerry had conceded to Leo on the color, he had to say, it didn't look half bad. In the next few days, they would bring over Leo's things and then Traci could decorate the room as she pleased.

Leo was pooped after his room redo and after cleaning up and changing clothes, relocated to Jerry's sofa to watch some much needed cartoons. Sam went to work on the stair rail and its missing slats. Jerry knew that Traci was extremely safety conscious with her son and realized that it was a hazard for a young kid. Sam cut the pieces and started replacing them along the stairs. Leo came over and sat on the bottom stair to watch.

"So Leo, tell me about Aunt Andy's partner."

"The superhero?" he whispered

"Yes." Sam smiled

"Well, he can read minds. He always knows what she's thinking. He knows what everyone is thinking. And he always knows when there's danger, he has saved her like a jillion times."

"Really?"

"Yep. One time they had to pick up a prisoner and he got away. They had to track him down in the woods or they would get in trouble. The guy tricked Andy and attacked her and all of a sudden her partner came out of nowhere and saved her. I'm pretty sure that he has special senses, like Spiderman."

"No kidding?" Sam laughed

_Sam recalled to mind that eventful day to Sudbury. He had been horrified to learn that he would have to take Andy with him for the prisoner transport. He and Andy weren't even on speaking terms. Things had been so awkward between them after the night of the blackout. Quite frankly, Sam had no idea what they would even talk about for ten hours in the car. Andy had tried so hard to make things friendly between them. He had tried his hardest to keep things steered away from anything personal but he had to give her credit she was persistent, trying to make it __**mostly**__ personal. Trying to be his friend. It was at lunch where she finally threw in the towel. She had given up on him, and his cold shoulder treatment and despite his frustration toward her and Callaghan, he just couldn't have that. He polished off some of his fourth grade jokes and there it was, that smile. The smile that sucked him in that first shift and he realized right then, he could never stay mad at her._

_The ride back had gained some normalcy and then she had let the prisoner get away. He had been furious, not as much about the prisoner escaping but more that she put herself in danger. Fortunately, they caught up with Swan and a complete disaster had been avoided. More importantly Andy was okay and they had established their friendship again. He wasn't sure why he shared Sarah's story with Andy that night. He never talked about it….. with anybody. His brain was telling him that it was probably because of the guilt he felt after he screamed at her but something in his gut told him that it was more. His walls seemed to come down around Andy. Cement walls that never came down around anyone. _

"Aunt Andy said that she got hurt that day and her partner fixed her all up. He always knows how to make her feel better. One day, she was feeling really angry and he even let her beat him up."

"Pardon?"

"She was really mad and she was a little crankyish and her partner let her hit him. They had boxing gloves on, but it didn't matter because he is the strongest person on the planet so nothing can hurt him."

_Sam smiled as he flashed back to the night of the quarantine. He had wanted so badly for Andy to let out her frustrations about Luke and the breakup. He remembered her trying to blow him off at first at his idea. It didn't take much teasing to have her lace up her gloves and take some shots at him. A little while later he got to see that beautiful smile again, the one that had been missing ever since her breakup. She had been grateful to get her frustrations out of her system and had told him the same. He remembered what he said to her as she left the gym that night. "Partners McNally, we always have each other's back, whatever it takes." She had hugged him and thanked him and had genuinely smiled as she left to go home that night. He couldn't stop smiling that night either._

"He sounds like an amazing guy." Sam laughed mostly at himself.

"That's exactly what Aunt Andy says about him."

"Ya know what Leo; I think my partner has superpowers too. She can find trouble from a mile away and she tries to help everyone she meets."

"What's her name?" Leo asked excitedly

"Oh, I can't tell you her real name, she wouldn't want anyone to know."

"Oh right." He whispered. "Her secret identity."

* * *

><p>Leo went back to his cartoons and Sam back to his work. He was trying to digest the information from Leo. He was glad to hear that Andy thought so much of him, considering she wasn't a big sharer of her feelings with him. Somehow they would have to change that when they got to be together again. <em>Sigh. Whenever that was.<em>

* * *

><p>Jerry took out sandwich fixings for lunch and the three of them sat at the table to eat. Jerry filled Sam in on the goings on at the Division. Jerry mentioned that after work Traci was picking Andy up to go shopping for stuff for her new place before coming over to pick up Leo. Sam took the hint that he couldn't be there at that time. They had gotten themselves in enough trouble; Jerry didn't want to set them up for any more.<p>

After lunch Sam fixed and then reinstalled the dishwasher, correctly. He was constantly fixing the projects that Jerry had started. He couldn't help but laugh at his friend. Next on his list was to install a new faucet in the hall bath. The extent of Jerry's assistance with that project was shutting the water off. He removed his t-shirt as working in the small confined space underneath the sink was making him warm. He laid the shirt over the edge of the tub. A half hour later, the faucet was installed and the water was turned back on. Sam packed up his tools and stacked everything in the garage for the next day. As much as he would kill to have even a glimpse of Andy, he didn't want to jeopardize anything. He went upstairs to Leo's room to see if everything was dry. He pulled the extra paint chips out of his back pocket and placed them on the shelf unit. A quick word to Leo and he would be gone for the day.

Leo was packing up his backpack of toys in anticipation of his mother's arrival. Sam waited for Jerry to go looking for Leo's shoes.

"Hey buddy, can you do me a favor?" he asked as he crouched down to the boy's level.

"Sure Sam."

"When Aunt Andy comes with your mom to pick you up, can you show her the shelves that we built?"

"Can I tell her that I helped you build them?"

"Absolutely. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Sam, will I see you tomorrow?"

"Yep. I'll be here."

"Good. I had fun today. Can I work with you again?"

"Only if you promise to tell me another superhero story."

"It's a deal."

* * *

><p>After exhausting the home décor store, Traci and Andy made their way over to Jerry's house. Traci was thrilled about the repairs and renovations and loved Leo's room. Jerry explained what other projects they were hoping to tackle. Andy felt a strange calmness just knowing that Sam had been in the house today. She wished she could have seen him, even for a second, but they had promised each other. <em>Sigh 17 more days.<em>

Leo ran up to Andy. "Andy, you have to come with me and see what I did today. Well, me and Jerry and Sam actually." He smiled and Andy hoped that her return smile didn't show the sadness she suddenly felt knowing that Leo got to see Sam today and she couldn't .

"One sec buddy, let me just use the bathroom."

She stood in front of the vanity washing her hands and staring back at the blank look on the face in the mirror. She was amazed at how Sam had affected her. For two years they danced around their feelings and after two nights together she couldn't bear to be without him. _What the hell was wrong with her?_ Two and a half more weeks and they could go back to normal. Well not normal but together and that was fine with her. She took a deep breath and started to walk out when she saw a black shirt hanging over the tub. She hesitated for a second before picking it up. She certainly didn't want to smell Jerry's clothes but as soon as she saw it she knew it was Sam's. She bunched it up and brought it to her face and there it was that musky, fabric softener mix that was so inherently Sam. She took a sniff and stuffed it in her coat pocket. She smiled as she bit her bottom lip. _There's no way he's getting that back. _

Leo was waiting patiently for her when she came out. They made their way down the hall to his doorway.

"Wow, Leo, I love your new room."

"And Andy, look at these shelves, I built these with Sam today. He let me help him and even let me use his tools."

"Wow, they came out great. Good job." She ran her hand over the shelf and noticed 2 paint chips on the top shelf. She picked them up, confused because neither looked like the color in the room. Then she saw the names, Pistachio Green and Pink Grapefruit. She grinned and at the same time felt tears welling up in her eyes. _God she missed him._

No contact Best had said. No letters, no phone calls, no email. Leave it to Sam to find a way to circumvent the system. _He really didn't have any rules._


	3. Chapter 3 I Guess Two Can Play that game

**A/N: So glad that last chapter was a hit. I was so nervous. Love the reviews. They are quite fun to read, so thank you for that.**

**I Think You Might Be Superman**

**Chapter 3-I Guess Two Can Play at That Game**

Sam woke up Friday morning feeling more rested than he had felt in days. He wasn't even sure that Andy would find the paint chips but just knowing that she thought so much of him had sent him into restful slumber. Leo was a really great kid and he couldn't resist the innocence with which he told Andy's stories. Sam was far from an egomaniac but he couldn't help but love hearing Andy's version of their many adventures on patrol. He couldn't wait to see Leo again just to hear what else Andy had to say about him. His mind was now spinning trying to think of other little "messages" he could get to her. If he couldn't talk to her or see her at least he could let her know that he was thinking about her.

He showered and dressed and was filling the coffee pot when his phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hey Sammy. Ready for another adventure?"

"Definitely. What's up?"

"Traci packed up Leo's stuff at her mom's place last night."

"Wow, that was quicker than you originally thought."

"Yeah, I know. Apparently, McNally volunteered to back to Traci's and help her. You didn't call her did you?"

"What? No. No I didn't call her. Why?"

"Traci said Andy has been moping all week but last night when they left my place she was like a changed woman."

Sam smiled into the phone before commenting. "I swear Jer, I haven't seen her or spoken to her."

"Well, in any event, all the stuff is packed and we can move it over today with your truck if that's okay."

"Fine by me."

"Great."

"See you in about an hour."

* * *

><p>Sam pulled up to Jerry's around 9am. The front door was open and Sam let himself in.<p>

"Hey Sam!" Leo ran up and hugged the man's leg. Jerry waved at Sam from the kitchen doorway, pointing to the phone in his hand.

"Hey buddy. How ya doing?" Sam said to Leo.

"Great. What are we gonna build today?"

"Well, today I hope you have your muscles ready because we are going to move all your stuff from your grandma's house to here. We are definitely gonna need someone super strong to help us."

"Too bad we don't have Aunt Andy's partner to help us, he's like Superman, and he could probably lift everything all by himself."

Sam grinned at the boy and nodded in agreement.

"So, how is Aunt Andy?"

"She's good. She slept over last night and we had so much fun. Then before I went to bed, her and mom and me watched Toy Story 3. They cried at the end, they always cry at that part." He shook his head. "Girls."

Sam was assuming that was the title of a kid's movie. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of his Andy, always with the brave face, crying over a movie. _His Andy._

"Did you show her the great work you did yesterday?"

"Yep. She said that we are really great with tools." Sam smiled just as Jerry walked in the room.

Jerry gave Sam one of his man hugs. "Hey brother, sorry about that. That was an old buddy of mine from 27, Pete McGinn. Haven't talked to him in a while. He has season tickets to the Leafs and some family thing came up and he can't use the tickets. He wants to know if I want them for tonight. You in?"

"Hell yeah, I haven't been to a game in about three years."

"I'll give Oliver a call, and what about a fourth, Frank? Andrews?"

"Can I come?" they heard Leo ask in a soft voice. "I've never seen a hockey game in real life."

The men looked at Leo and then to each other. There was no way to resist that face.

"Sure Leo, but we have to make sure that it's okay with mom." Said Jerry

"Awesome. "

They threw some old blankets in the back of Sam's truck. Sam grabbed his tool box and they headed toward Traci's mom's house. Jerry had called Mrs. Nash to make sure she was ready for them to come while inconspicuously making sure that Andy had left.

As they pulled up to the small house, they noticed Traci's mom at the front door. She came out to greet them. Jerry introduced Sam and they made their way inside. Her mom was a sweet but no nonsense woman who didn't hesitate to threaten the men of the consequences if any dirt ended up on her floors.

Leo's room wasn't huge but it was packed to capacity. There was a twin bed, a tall dresser, a night stand and a small desk. In one corner stood two towers of boxes which Sam assumed were filled with toys and everything a young boy needs. On the desk was a small boom box. Aside from the lamp on the dresser, it was the only thing not packed up in the room. Jerry started bringing the boxes down to Sam's truck. Meanwhile, Sam started taking apart Leo's bed frame. As he unattached each side he leaned them against the wall by the door. Leo had brought a small box down to the truck but now was intently watching Sam as he leaned the last pieces of his bed against the wall.

"Hey Sam, do you want me to put the radio on?"

"That would be great bud thanks."

Leo turned the power on and a cd started to play. Sam thought he recognized the song but Leo had quickly changed it to radio mode and the sound of Bon Jovi now filled the room. Then it hit him.

"Leo could you put that other song on for a second?"

"Sure." He switched the mode over to CD once again.

Sam listened as the song built up louder and the familiar words resonated through the room.

"_All by myself, don't want to be, all by myself, anymore." Touché McNally._

He was snapped out of his reverie by Leo tugging at his shirt sleeve.

"Yes?"

"Ugh, can we put some good music on? This is terrible."

He smiled at the boy. "No problem, you put on whatever you want."

Sam was grinning from ear to ear as Jerry walked back in the room.

"Hey brother, you alright?" Jerry was studying him curiously.

"Great Jer, just great…..um, the bed pieces are ready for the truck, I'll bring down the nightstand but we will probably have to make a second trip for the dresser and the desk with all of those boxes."

"Will do."

Sam taped the bed hardware to the back of the headboard as Jerry and Leo made their way out of the room. Sam quickly opened the cd drawer and carefully put the cd in the pocket of his jacket hanging on the door knob. The familiar handwriting on the otherwise generic cd did not go unnoticed.

**_ Silence Allergy Mix_**

Sam carried the nightstand to his truck and strapped it down. They drove back to Jerry's and repeated the process in reverse. They returned to the Nash's to get the desk and the dresser. Once they had everything secure, they headed in the direction of Jerry's house again. Leo voiced his hunger and several sets of puppy dog eyes later Sam pulled into the drive thru at McDonalds.

After lunch they brought in the two final pieces of furniture. Sam grinned at the look on Leo's face. He seemed very happy in his new room and it was obvious that he adored Jerry. Sam was thrilled for his friend and the fact that he knew exactly what he wanted and was making it happen. Sam also knew exactly what he wanted, thoughts that had consumed his mind for the better part of the past year and a half. Finally by some miracle he got his wish. Ok, maybe not exactly the best timing or the best of circumstances but being with Andy was everything he hoped for and more. He was shocked at how easy it was between them. Not uncomfortable, not awkward in any way, just natural. He had to give kudos to those people who swore that the success of their relationship was because they had established a friendship first. Whatever the case may be, he had reached the Promised Land and there was no going back now. He couldn't wait to try normal.

The move process had taken much less time than the men had anticipated so Sam went to the next project on Jerry's to do list. Leo, so eager to help, followed Sam into the garage to gather his tools. They had left the bundles of wood for the bedroom floor in the den. Sam grabbed an extra tool belt and strapped it around Leo's small waist. The smile on the boy's face could have lit up a city block. They headed up to the bedroom. Jerry had ripped out the old rug weeks before. He had spent whatever free time prepping the floor for when he would have the new floor installed.

Sam and Jerry moved the furniture from the farthest wall which would be the starting point. After a few minutes Jerry was more in the way than anything else, his phone going off intermittently.

"Hey Leo, we're gonna take a ride over to the precinct, they need my help with something. We should only be a little while. Maybe we could even try to see mom when she takes her meal break."

"Um, do you think I could stay and build stuff with Sam?" he looked between the two men.

"Fine by me." Sam replied.

"I'll be an hour tops, you're sure you don't mind?" Jerry asked.

"Not at all, besides he's a better helper than you are."

Jerry rolled his eyes at Sam while Leo grinned from ear to ear.

* * *

><p>Sam and Leo would grab the floor planks and lay them down. So far there hadn't been too much cutting. Leo watched as Sam used a mallet to fit the pieces of the floating floor together.<p>

"Hey Sam, can I try that special hammer?"

"Sure buddy. Let me show you. This is a rubber mallet. It bangs the boards into place without damaging the wood." He demonstrated and handed the mallet to Leo to continue. "Hey Leo, how about another superhero story?"

"Sure! I thought of a really great one last night. Aunt Andy was working with a different partner one day. Mom calls him Mr. Cranky Pants but I just call him Mr. Shaw." Sam smiled. "There was a fire at a laundry place and then after the fire was out, Andy had to make sure that no one went near the building but a lady did and Andy ran in after her to get her out and then she heard a big crash and they were trapped!" Leo's eyes were huge as told the story. "They couldn't get out for a really long time. Like a million minutes. That's when her superhero showed up. He marched right in the building to get her out of there. He didn't even need any special equipment, because nothing can hurt him, so he went to find her. I think he used his special senses because he knew exactly where she was trapped. He is really good at that stuff! So, the fireman used a saw to cut the wall, but I am pretty sure her partner could have just busted that wall down but he didn't want the fireman to feel bad."

"Wow, your Aunt was really lucky. She could have been really hurt."

"I asked Aunt Andy if she was scared and she said yes until she heard HIS voice on the radio then she knew they were gonna be fine. Besides, she says he's always there when it matters. I'm not really sure what that means, but she was really smiley when she said it."

_Sam thought back to that day at the Laundromat. His heart was in his throat as he heard over his radio that Andy was trapped in the collapsing building. He raced to the scene with Jo Rosati. He saw her grabbing the door handle every time he raced through a red light but he didn't care. He knew it wasn't Oliver's fault that she was in there; it was just easier to yell at him in frustration. She was just a danger magnet. As he had stood out there helpless, Oliver tried to lighten the mood. Jo made a couple of snide remarks about him and Andy and his losing focus. Sam chalked it up to her being a bitch. There was no way his feelings were that transparent. Until Oliver called him out on it. 'Maybe when she gets out of there you should talk to her.' He had said 'About what'. They both knew __**about what**__ he meant. _

_That night after shift, he swore he was going to say something. He wasn't sure what, maybe "Is Luke really what you want? I care about you? I'm in love with you?" Even now, just thinking about that night he felt silly. He had paused next to her ever so slightly, willing himself to say something! Unfortunately as he glanced down at her, the flash of that stupid ring reminded him of the insanity of him uttering a word to her. So he kept walking and didn't say anything. Chicken shit. She seemed like she was going to say something to him, but then nothing. He remembered going home that night and drinking,... a lot._

"Hey Sam." Leo was waving his hand in front of Sam's face. "Did I do it right?"

Sam looked over at the floor board nestled tightly against the one before it. "You did great buddy."

* * *

><p>Jerry was back an hour or so later. Traci has given the okay for the hockey game but was hoping that Leo would maybe sleep a little at Jerry's so he would be able to stay up for the whole game. He couldn't wait to tell Leo. They had completed a small section of the floor and Jerry loved the way it looked.<p>

"Hey Leo, mom said you could go to the game tonight."

"Yes!"

"Why don't you go lie on the sofa and try to sleep a little bit." Jerry suggested.

"Ugh. A Nap? Naps are for little kids, I am seven and three quarters and that is almost like a grown up."

"Come on Leo, just for a little while. We probably won't get home till almost eleven."

"I think I'm gonna go home and take a nap myself." Sam tried to convince the boy.

"Fine. But only for a little while." He pouted as he made his way to the den.

Sam cleaned up his tools and put the room back to normal as best he could. They called Oliver and arranged a time to leave. It was decided that Oliver would swing by and pick up Sam first and then Jerry and Leo. Jerry walked Sam to the door.

"Hey Sammy, thanks again for all of your help. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. I'm glad to be keeping busy and I kind of miss the carpentry. Besides, that Leo is a trip. And he is such a good kid."

"Yeah he is. Would you believe he already asked me which one of us is catching a puck for him tonight?" he shook his head and they both laughed.

"See you later. He started to walk out and then turned around. "Hey Jer, did you find a shirt of mine lying around?"

"Let me guess, black or grey?"

"Ha Ha. If you come across it just leave it with my tools smartass."

"Will do."

Sam waited all of two minutes to get down the block before he gently took the cd from his pocket and put it in the slot of his truck stereo. This disk started to play what sounded like Christmas bells and the words "He's making a list, and checking it twice." Then it stopped and the same fragment repeated. Sam was confused but continued listening. He pulled away from the curb and was completely baffled by the eclectic group of songs. All by myself had put a smile on his face, the irony not being lost on him. He pulled in his driveway and took the cd with him. He dropped it in the cd player of his stereo and crashed on the sofa. As for the rest of the songs, he recognized most of them but they were so random in genre, taste, content,...everything, he wasn't sure what to make of it all.

* * *

><p>Forty minutes later he was awoken by the ringing of the phone.<p>

"Hello."

"Hey little brother, how ya feeling?"

"I'm good. How are things there?"

"We're fine. Michael is working overtime and the girls are getting ready for a sleepover with a couple of their friends. More importantly, what are you up to?"

"Not too much."

"Sam, I know you better than anyone and I know that you don't do 'Not too much'….ever. I figured after a couple of days you would have been banging on our door to visit."

"I will definitely come up to see you guys but Jerry has me doing some work around his house. It has been keeping me busy."

"And Andy?"

He sighed. "No contact for three weeks, per Best."

"Oh Sam, you finally get your girl and now you can't see her."

"Not helping Sarah. I knew I should have made up a different reason for the suspension." He laughed.

"I told you, I know you better than anyone. I don't even need to see your face to know how you feel about this girl. I've never heard you talk about anything let alone anyone so often as you do of her. So stop playing coy and give me the dirt."

Sam told his sister about the paint chips and the cd.

"Aww, that's sweet. I don't really get the title but cute that you two are sending secret messages. Sam explained about Andy's allergy to silence. Then he told her about the stories from Leo."

"Oh for Pete's sake, as if your head could get any bigger."

"It's not like that but in all that time that she was rolling her eyes at me and running around with Mr. Perfect, it's nice to know that she thinks I'm pretty awesome."

"First of all, she was probably rolling her eyes because you're bossy and you think you know everything. Secondly, he obviously wasn't perfect for her and finally, I get the feeling that she always thought you were kind of awesome."

"Thanks Sarah,... I think. Listen, I'm going to the Leafs game with Jerry and Oliver tonight. Say hi to Mike and kiss my girls for me. Tell them I will come up next week."

"Or, you could wait until your suspension is over and bring your McNally with you."

"Bye Sarah! Talk to you later."

"Have fun!

Damn how that woman could irritate him. He did smile though at the thought of them meeting Andy one day._ One day._

He ran to take a quick shower.

* * *

><p>Oliver's van was in his driveway at 6:00pm sharp. Sam grabbed his wallet, threw on his jacket and locked his front door. Oliver had beeped when he pulled up but was standing on his front stoop when he turned around.<p>

"Hey Shaw."

Oliver pulled him into a man hug. "How are you brother?"

"I'm fine. Would you let go of me? I'm fine." He rolled is eyes.

Oliver let go of him and they walked to the car. Sam laughed and shook his head.

They put on their seatbelts and Oliver looked over at Sam.

"Oliver, seriously, I really am fine. I'm keeping busy and I'm feeling much better."

"No question Sammy. That Brennan did a number on you but I am really more concerned,…. with your heart."

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh brother. See, this is why I never talk to you about women. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sammy, that's the thing, you never talked about Andy but we knew. We all knew how you felt about her. You were the only one not admitting it."

"Hard to put myself out there when I wasn't sure how she felt."

"And now?"

"Oh look, we're at Jerry's already, perfect timing." Sam said as he went to open his door.

Oliver locked the door from his side and put his hand on Sam's arm. I've known you for 12 years; you are one of my best friends. I freaked when we couldn't find you and I was scared knowing that psycho had you but later, when we knew that Andy had been seeing you undercover, we were all actually really happy for you guys."

"I appreciate that Shaw, but what is your point?"

Oliver hesitated before speaking as he watched Jerry and Leo walking toward the car.

"She must mean an awful lot to you for you to let her get near you when you were undercover. Three weeks is not forever. When you get the chance, man up and put yourself out there."

"Thanks for the pep talk Dad."

Jerry and Leo jumped in the backseat of the van. Leo was practically jumping out of his skin with excitement about the game.

* * *

><p>The arena was about 23 full when they found their seats in the first row of the second section. Jerry moved all the way in followed by Leo, then Sam and Oliver on the end. The Maple Leafs were hosting the New York Islanders. Both teams were warming up at separate ends. Leo was immediately in his glory as the players raced around the ice. He chatted excitedly to no one in particular as the 1st period began.

"Why did the ref call a penalty?"

"He called the Islanders for icing?" Said Jerry

"Icing?" Leo looked at him as if he had two heads.

"The puck can't start out at this end and go past the line at the other end of the rink. That is icing." Sam tried to explain it in the simplest of terms.

As the 1st period came to a close in a 1-1 tie, Leo voiced his hunger.

"Jerry, I am starving. Can we get something to eat?"

"Sure buddy what do you want?"

"How about a ginormous hot dog and a Sprite?"

"You got it."

"Sam, do you want anything?"

"I'll have the same as Leo but a beer would be great."

Oliver interjected, "I'll come with you, gotta use the little boy's room."

The two men walked away as the nets were being removed so that they could clean the ice. Leo watched in awe as a strange looking vehicle drove onto the ice through open panels on the opposite side of the rink.

"Sam, check that out."

Sam smiled, "That is a Zamboni. It cleans the ice and makes it all smooth again before they start each period."

"Can we get closer?"

"Sure."

Sam reached out and Leo grabbed his hand and they walked down closer to the ice. Leo watched the vehicle make its way around the rink, slowly restoring that glassy sheen. Leo seemed to pay close attention every time the driver made his way close to where they stood. Finally the driver left through where he had come. The door panel was put back in place and the players started to make their way back to the ice.

Once back at their seats, Leo looked around before turning to Sam.

"Do you think that's him?" he whispered.

"Who?"

"The driver?"

"The Zamboni driver?"

He whispered, "Do you think that's Ernie?" Sam should have seen this coming but indulged himself.

"Who's Ernie?"

"Aunt Andy's "friend"? One time he pretended to be Ernie the Zamboni driver."

"You see, one time Mom and Aunt Andy had to be hunters, but I think they were on a treasure hunt for money. They had to work with this guy that mom calls Mr. Boyd. When Aunt Andy talks about him she gets her angry face on and calls him Mr. Idiot and some other stuff and then mom yells at her because she shouldn't really use that language in front of me."

Sam couldn't help but smile, he knew what a fan of Boyd's Andy was to begin with, he could only imagine after this last debacle.

"So Aunt Andy was telling her partner that when she was hunting she called herself Candace and she was so boring and embarrassed but like always he made her laugh and told her that one time he was Ernie the Zamboni driver. She thought that was really funny. I think it would be really funny if THAT was him but…..I don't think he is."

"No? Why not?"

"That guy is old and I heard her and mom talking one day about her good looking partner. I think that guy is too old to be good looking. Know what I mean?"

"Oh sure. So you positive that isn't him?"

"Yeah, I'm sure but I am definitely gonna find out who her partner is!"

"No doubt in my mind Leo, no doubt."

* * *

><p>Leo was snoring by the time Oliver dropped Sam off at his house. He tossed his jacket on the kitchen stool and hit the flashing light on his answering machine. He was hoping for the best but anticipating disappointment. Sarah's voice echoed from the speaker. The time stamp from just after they had spoken earlier in the day.<p>

"Hey Sam, you must be in the shower already. I was just thinking of you and your sweetie pie." He rolled his eyes at the ceiling for the umpteenth time that day. "It's an acronym…. for your name. Silence Allergy Mix. SAM. Don't know why I thought about that. Ok, gotta make popcorn. Talk to you soon." Click

Sam shook his head and deleted the message. He considered flipping on the TV but instead started stripping off his shirt on the way to his bedroom. He changed into a pair of sweats, brushed his teeth and crashed on the bed. _Silence Allergy Mix, funny McNally._ He lay there with a goofy grin on his face. Then it hit him_. "He's making a list and checking it twice."_ He sprung out of bed and ran to the kitchen. A note pad and pen in hand, he started the cd from the beginning.

He skipped past the Santa reference to the first full song, Bryan Adams, Here I am. All by myself, by Eric Carmen was next. Beyond that there were quite a few that he had no idea about. It was time to take out his lap top. He hardly ever used the thing. Sarah and Mike had given it to him for Christmas one year. For the most part he used it to get directions and to check his email. Tonight he had a feeling it would be his best friend. He wrote down the title and artist of each song if he knew it, otherwise he would jot down some of the lyrics to help identify the song. He was gonna kill McNally, she knew he hated puzzles.

Three hours, a pot of coffee and multiple curses later he sat down to look at the final list. Bryan Adams, Eric Carmen, Toby Keith, Colby Caillat, Uncle Kracker, Janet Jackson, Bon Jovi, Van Morrison to name a few, others he had never even heard of. Such a mish mash of songs and types of music but a message that made his heart skip a beat. He totally sounded like a girl but he seriously felt it skip a beat. And what the hell was that, butterflies? He read the song list out loud this time.

Here I Am

All By Myself

Thinking About You All Of The Time

Still

I Never Told You

What I Really Want To Say

I Miss You

Truly

You Make Me Smile

Above All

I Can't Wait To See You

When Lonely Comes Around

I Think

Good Life

Just You And I

Together Again

Always

Brown Eyed Girl

Sleep was starting to take over his body. He laid his head on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling.

_Wow. There go those damn butterflies again._

**A/N: My thanks to DCJ for the name for the cd and for giving me guidance as I made a mountain out of my molehill. Please let me know what you think. I would love to post another chapter before the holidays but who are we kidding this is me. So wishing you all a Merry Christmas, or Happy Holiday wherever you may be.**

**Lisa :)**


	4. Chapter 4 Still Hate Puzzles

**A/N: I am blushing with pride. Thank you all for your kind words. I loved the cd idea too. (Not while I was going through hundreds of songs, by the way). So glad you appreciated the effort. Racked my brain to come up with something almost as fun. Hope you enjoy.**

**I Think You Might Be Superman**

**Chapter 4-Love the girl, still hate puzzles**

The weekend after the hockey game passed in a blur. Sam had been exhausted after pulling an all-nighter trying to decode what was now his favorite cd of all time. He had his stitches taken out that afternoon and the doctor replaced his cast with something a little sturdier since he could already tell that Sam hadn't been **not** using the arm like he was supposed to. Sunday he spent with the Shaws. Oliver had invited him over to watch football and have dinner with his family. He noticed the obvious lift in Sam's spirits and was immediately suspicious.

"You haven't seen her, have you?"

"Seen who?" Sam asked innocently

"You know exactly who. McNally that's who. No contact Sam."

"Oliver, I promise, I have not talked to, called, written or emailed Officer McNally as per my suspension." He finished with a smirk.

"Uh Hmmm. So why so happy?"

"Why? I can't be happy now? You guys keep telling me that its only 3 weeks, suck it up. I finally am and now you give me the business? Besides, I am an inherently happy person." He grinned.

"Riiiight."

Sam really wanted to tell Oliver about the stories from Leo and the cd, but that posed two dilemmas. Sam silently asked himself two very important questions. One, if he told Oliver would he keep his mouth shut? Secondly, how bad will he make fun of me knowing that McNally painted me in that light? Within seconds, Sam decided that he didn't want to find out either of those answers, so he shut his mouth.

* * *

><p>Jerry called Monday morning to let Sam know that he was working afternoon shifts this week so anything Sam wanted to do would be solely by himself. Sam tried not to chuckle out loud. He really didn't mind working alone and the truth is Jerry wasn't really too much of a help. He told Sam where to find the spare key and informed him that Traci would pick Leo up from school and be at the house around 4. Sam yessed him to death before they got off the phone. He really didn't mind the quiet. He was used to it that way. Or at least he used to be used to it. He had been on his own for so long. Even at work he would have often rode alone. Undercover you are totally alone. Sam had just accepted that as his life. Until Andy. Her nervous chatter was at first annoying, then distracting, then endearing, and then…..God how he missed even the sound of her voice. What he wouldn't do for her to laugh at him or even tell him a Dov story. Ok, 13 more days, he could do it.<p>

The only thing he truly wasn't prepared for was how much he missed Leo, and of course those fabulous stories from Andy. He couldn't wait till 4. Today he would have a story for his little helper.

Sam had been sleeping slightly better these past few days. Jerry's phone call at 8:15 had actually been his wake up call. He made his way over to Jerry's by 9, let himself in, grabbed his tools and made his way up to Jerry's bedroom. Work was moving slowly but smoothly and by the time lunch rolled around about half of the room was finished. Jerry had mentioned that there was pizza in the fridge. Sam decided a road trip was in order. He headed out, fairly sure of where he was going. He would definitely know when he got there. As he pulled around the corner to where the old toilet factory used to stand, there was a beautiful condominium development. Andy was right, this place was definitely her. He made a mental note of the building address and headed for his favorite deli on Baker. Sam had been going there for years. He and Scott, the owner, talked a bit while he made Sam his monstrous sandwich.

"By the way, saw that gorgeous partner of yours this morning." Scott smiled.

"Huh? Who?" His every thought was consumed with Andy, how he wouldn't immediately realize who Scott was talking about was slightly ridiculous.

"Andy. She's been coming here for breakfast a lot. Her dad is away and she is just waiting to close on her new place. Said she has some time off, didn't sound too thrilled about it though."

Obviously, Andy hadn't said anything about her suspension so Sam didn't feel it was his place to mention it.

"Probably just has a lot going on. I was working with Guns and Gangs, so…..we haven't been partnered for a little while. Things should be back to normal in a couple of weeks." _Normal._

Sam paid for his food and said goodbye to his friend. As he headed for the door, Scott called after him.

"Hey, you think she'd go out with me if I asked?"

"Sorry buddy, she's already taken." Sam grinned and headed for his truck.

* * *

><p>Sam worked quickly through the afternoon and was happy to be able to tell Jerry that he could probably be finished with the floor by the next afternoon. Apparently Traci had moved some more of her stuff in over the weekend and Sam knew they would want everyone to be settled in. He didn't even hear the car pull up, just the slam of the door and small footsteps up the stairs.<p>

"Wow Sam, you're doing a really great job!"

Sam chuckled, "Thanks Leo. It was harder because you weren't helping me but I did okay." Traci suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Hey Sam."

"Hey Nash. You like?"

"You really are good. It looks beautiful."

"Yeah, I got skills."

"So I've been hearing. "She replied with a smirk.

At first Sam thought it was from Leo but judging by the twinkle in Traci's eye and the fact that his face was turning red, he realized that she meant Andy.

"How is ….everything?" he tried to ask without asking.

"Good…... Hey Leo, you go wash those school germs off and grab a snack. I'll be down in a minute."

"Alright, Mom. Don't worry Sam; I'll be back in a little bit to help you."

"Thanks buddy."

They remained silent until they heard Leo bounce down the steps.

"She's good. She misses you but she's doing okay. You know counting down the days."

"Thirteen." The word was out before Sam could stop it.

Their eyes met and they shared a knowing glance. Traci knew how Sam felt about Andy, probably before he knew it. He gave her a small smile.

"Me too." Sam said. Traci understood all he was saying and not saying at the same time.

"Hey Nash, when is she moving into her new place?"

"I think she's closing Wednesday and starting to move in on Thursday."

"I hope she knows…..I mean, I wish I could help, ….could be there…"

"I know. She does too." Traci sighed…. "Listen, I'll leave you to your floor and I'll send your helper up when he's done with his snack. By the way, he loves hanging out with you. Thanks for being so sweet to him."

"He's a great kid Traci, you should be really proud of yourself."

"Thanks." She smiled and started to turn to leave.

"Hey Nash. I know we aren't supposed to "communicate". He gestured quotation marks in the air. "Just tell her one thing for me."

Traci bit her bottom lip and raised her eyes as a signal to continue.

"If the circumstances were the same and I had it to do all over again, tell her I wouldn't change a thing."

"Don't quote me on this,… but neither would she."

Sam smiled and went back to working on the floor. A short time later he was joined by his young partner in crime. Sam handed over the rubber mallet and Leo repeated the steps from the other day. "Hey Sam, good news for you. I have another story but this one is a little creepy and scary. Aunt Andy told this one when we had an indoor campout one night."

"An Indoor campout? Sam asked

"Well it's too cold to camp outside now silly. So anyhow, Aunt Andy set up her tent in grandma's living room. Grandma was not as excited as we were about the tent, I will tell you that. Anyhow, Aunt Andy told us a story about the day that her partner and her came up to a car accident and one of the cars had NO DRIVER. Then, they opened the trunk and there were dead people. I think their names were Peter and another guy and Mary. Jerry knew their names; he is really smart like that. So Andy and her partner go looking for the bad guy. Aunt Andy finds him and gets in a big fight with the guy but he got away. Her partner broke down a door with his bare hands just to get to her. It was made of extra strong steel but he knocked it down. The crazy guy bit Aunt Andy but she was okay."

"Wow, I am so glad that nothing happened to her." Sam said

"I know. But Sam, that isn't even the scariest part. The crazy guy knew Aunt Andy's last name and found out where she lived with Luke and the guy shot Luke! In the stomach! And that really hurts. Aunt Andy said she was shaking and crying and was so scared but her partner was really calm and he really tried to make her calm down. He took care of Luke until the Hambulance came." Leo giggled uncomfortably for a second. "Sorry, I mean the ambulance but Aunt Andy always calls it a Hambulance. She is so funny." Now he got serious again. "So her partner tried to fix him up and they went to the hospital. I remember that Aunt Andy had been so sad but she told me that she knew her partner was at the hospital almost the whole night just to be there for her. Is he awesome or what?"

_Sam smiled at Leo and thought back to that wild day and even crazier night. Daniel Baird was a curious case. Self un-medicating himself, cutting the heads off of cadavers; Cuckoo was hardly a strong enough term. As much as he despised Luke Callaghan, he would never wish him harm. He didn't think he would ever forget the look of fear on Andy's face as she leaned over Luke's pale form. He tried his best to calm her but even heard his own voice crack as he tried to get her to focus. Then at the hospital, he tried to assure her that Luke was in the best possible hands. She twirled that shiny engagement ring around her finger. Sam watched it go round and round her finger until he felt like he was on the tea cup ride at an amusement park. Finally, the doctor came out to report on Luke's status. When she advised them that only family would be allowed to see him, Andy told her "I'm his fiancée, I am his family." That was the one that almost broke him. So he sat with Jo Rosati. Both of them praying for the best but at the same time hoping for a breakup. How sick is that. _

"Excuse me Sam?"

"Yeah buddy?" Sam shook his head to come out of the daze.

"Maybe one day you can go real camping with us, okay?"

"Okay. It's a deal….Ya know Leo, I love hearing these stories about Aunt Andy. Remember when you first told me about the superhero guy, I told you that I thought that my partner had superpowers too. I want to tell you about the first time I met her."

Leo put the mallet down and sat cross legged on the finished part of the floor staring at Sam.

"I used to work undercover a lot. I was working on a big case and was talking to one of the bad guys when this young copper busted down the door with one kick." Leo grinned "I mean she is super strong. She was looking for a guy with a gun and I matched what he looked like so she arrested me."

"Didn't you tell her you were a police?"

Sam laughed, "I tried to tell her quietly, I mean I didn't want the other guy to know or it would ruin my whole case. She didn't listen to me and she arrested me. Later that day, the bad guy found out I was a police officer and I couldn't be undercover anymore because he was gonna tell all of his friends."

"Oh no! Wait…..I thought you said she had super powers? Sounds like she made a big mess of things."

"That's the thing, Leo. After she messed up my case, she tracked down the real bad guy and solved a murder case. All on her first day."

"Wow, her boss must have been really proud of her."

"Yeah he was. I was too. I never told her that but I was. And even though I was upset not to get the big bad guy that I was on the case for, I'm glad she blew my cover because then we became partners and now we are really… close friends."

Leo watched Sam's face taking in his expression. "Do you like her?"

"Huh?"

"Your partner, do you like her? I mean like her like her, like a girlfriend?"

_Intuitive kid._

Sam smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"My friend Steven likes this girl Nicole in our class. She is really nice but girls are just …..gross. Steven thinks she is so pretty and he always gives her his snack and he has his goofy face on around her, like all the time."

"His goofy face?"

"His goofy face, like you just had on." Leo giggled.

"You mean goofy like this?" Sam made faces at the boy. Leo giggled some more.

"You could date her ya know. Spiderman dates Mary Jane and Superman has Lois Lane. Wonder woman probably has a boyfriend. Haven't you ever seen those movies?"

_Movies, that's it._

"Leo, you just gave me a great idea. Could you help me clean this place up a little bit and then I will finish it up tomorrow."

Leo helped put all of the tools away. Together they stacked the remaining wood in a corner. Sam would finish the last small section tomorrow and reattach the moldings.

By the time they had cleaned up, Jerry was home with Chinese food. They asked Sam to stay. He had to call Sarah and wanted to get home so he politely declined and promised them another night. He shrugged on his jacket and promised that he would be there in the morning to finish.

He sat in his truck and waited for it to warm up. Immediately he hit speed dial one.

"Hello."

"Sarah, I could use your help. Are you busy this week?"

"Not that I know of. What's up? …I'm sorry did you just tell me that you need my help?"

Sam explained about Andy's message and what he wanted to do. He figured he would rather ask for his sister's help than rely on Oliver. Shaw was too close to the parties involved. Yes, Sarah would be the best bet, plus this would be right up her alley. He explained his idea and what he would need from her to pull it off. She agreed immediately then checked with Michael to make sure that he would be okay with the girls for an overnight. Her plan would be to leave for Toronto Wednesday after the girls got on the school bus. Michael would get them in the afternoon. She would return to St. Catharine's Thursday evening.

"Thanks Sarah."

"Are you kidding, I've been waiting forever for you to ask me to help you with your love life."

"Funny Sarah. See you Wednesday."

* * *

><p>Early Tuesday Sam finished up the floor. It really did look terrific if he might say so himself. He packed up his stuff and deposited his tools in the garage. He had some research to do before preparing for his message back to Andy. He was gonna stop by later that evening just to get a little info from his unknowing spy.<p>

He went home and headed for his computer. It was slow going but his thoughts turned to Andy and her message and that was enough incentive for him. He worked through the afternoon. His phone rang around 5:30, it was Jerry, thanking him for the amazing job and inviting him to dinner with he and Traci and Leo. They were heading to Carmines. Jerry knew that Sam wouldn't take any money for his work so he would pay him back in dinners if he had too.

* * *

><p>They met at Carmines at 6:30. The eating was family style and there was enough food to feed three families at least. Traci glanced at her watch and excused herself to the ladies room.<p>

"Hey Sammy, would you mind dropping me and Leo off at home. Traci's gonna meet Andy at the mall. This way she can just take my car."

Suddenly Sam had an impulsive itch to go shopping and he hated shopping.

"Yeah sure, no problem."

Jerry asked the waiter for the check. Meanwhile Leo leaned over to Sam. "Mom and Andy didn't want us to go with them. They're gonna see their friend Victoria. I think she has a secret and they didn't want me to spill any beans. I'm not sure what is going on but I'm definitely gonna try and find out what she told them."

Sam choked on the last of his drink.

* * *

><p>As expected, Sam had a fitful night of sleep. He dragged himself out of bed around 9 and started the coffee. Sam was showered and dressed and waiting at the door by the time Sarah got there at 10:30am. She threw her overnight bag to the side in the foyer and pulled her brother into her embrace. She finally leaned away from him, running her hands from his shoulders to his hands. She looked at his cast and traced the cut under his left eye with her finger.<p>

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're fine. You're always fine."

She walked past him into his kitchen. "So where do we start?"

She glanced at the sheets of paper all over his kitchen counter. "Wow, you've really been giving a lot of thought to this."

"I was trying to be equally clever but I don't think it's possible."

"If anyone can come up with great titles, it's you. You are such a movie buff."

They made a list of things they would need to get at the store.

Sam caught his sister staring at him as he scribbled on a piece of paper.

"What?" he asked

"I've just…..never seen you so …..invested …in someone. You really love this girl."

Sam didn't say anything, just looked down at his hands. "You do, don't you?" she prodded.

"Maybe I do. But that's not the point. I've known her for two years. She wasted over a year with that idiot Callaghan. Meanwhile, I did nothing. I never told her how I felt, never did anything or said anything to let her know that I wanted to be with her, that I wanted her. Finally, we get the opportunity to be together and we're separated. There is no way that I'm screwing this up. Callaghan never put her first, never put any effort…she needs to know that I am not that guy."

Sarah sat open mouthed. There was so much she wanted to say to her brother but didn't. That was just a really big share from him and she didn't want to shut him down.

"Well Sam, then we better get going."

* * *

><p>Sarah insisted that the first stop be to a craft store. Sam had never been in one so had to look it up on his laptop. Sarah dragged Sam around like a puppy. He found it hard to believe there was even a need for this much craft paraphernalia. Sarah found the basket she needed, some ribbon, a large jar and then she found a blank puzzle. She had a great idea for Sam for another Andy treat but that one would have to wait toward the end of their suspension. After a fairly painless 15 minutes they were on their way to their next stop. They immediately hit the DVD area and went through Sam's list picking up the specific titles, next it was the food section. The grabbed whatever they could from the list once again and then were out the door. Two more stops and the shopping hell would be over Sam thought. He was really grateful for his sister's help despite her being way too eager. The loud growl from Sam's stomach made it a perfect time for a break from the shopping marathon.<p>

They stopped at a diner to grab lunch. They had some laughs and a made light conversation. Sam appreciated the fact that Sarah wasn't peppering him with a million questions regarding Andy, whatever their relationship was nor their suspension. He gave her credit for her uncharacteristic restraint. Instead she told him about Michael being up for a promotion at work, talked about his nieces and how they were doing in school and how excited they were for their Uncle to come visit, especially with his new girlfriend. _ Okay so much for restraint._

"Don't get your hopes up Sarah, by the time this suspension is over she may remember what a jerk I am."

"You're not a jerk. …Well, not all of the time. "She laughed as he shook his head and grinned.

"I'm kidding Sam. You can say whatever you want, you're a great catch and you deserve to be happy. You do."

Sam tilted his head to the side and smirked, "Geez that must have killed you to say."

"Let's go Casanova before I lose my lunch."

* * *

><p>They made their two other stops and brought the multiple packages into the house. Sam followed his sister's lead as they attempted to put together the gift package and message. As she tied a ribbon around the group of DVDs she turned to her brother. "Anything else before I wrap it up?"<p>

"I think that's the last of it. I just need to get her address."

Sam called over to Jerry's and asked him to find out from Nash what Andy's new address would be. He could hear the hesitation in Jerry's voice as he asked and even more from Traci when she answered, 217 Salem Road."

"Relax guys, it's not like I'm going over there." Sam hung up quickly as Sarah typed away at his computer.

* * *

><p>The next morning after Sam made his sister's favorite Belgian waffles, they came up with the delivery plan. The waited till noon time before Sarah jumped in her SUV and headed for Andy's new place.<p>

She pulled up behind a small box truck, moving men lowering a sofa down to the street from the back. She followed them to number 217 and knocked on the already open door and waited till she heard light footsteps coming toward her. Immediately she could see why her brother was so smitten. The young woman who approached her was about 5'8" wearing her long dark hair in a ponytail, big brown eyes and the brightest smile she had ever seen. "Can I help you?"

"McNally? …I mean….. Andy McNally?"

"Yes?"

"I have a delivery for you. Could you please sign right here?"

Sarah handed over the clipboard with the fake delivery receipt. Andy signed next to the X and handed it back to the dark haired woman.

"I'll be right back with it." She went back to the car and carried the bulky basket back to Andy's door. Andy's eyes lit up with excitement as she saw the package. She couldn't imagine who it could be from. Only Traci really knew that she was moving in today. She tipped the woman and smiled as she started to walk away. There was something so familiar about her but Andy couldn't put her finger on it.

"Excuse me, do I know you? You look so familiar."

Sarah almost stumbled over her own feet. "Uh, I don't think so; I'm not from around here, just filling in for a friend." She smiled back at Andy a full dimpled smile and headed for her car.

Sam was waiting on his front stoop when Sarah pulled back in the driveway. She reported back to Sam and gave a full hearted approval on his choice of women to which Sam rolled his eyes. She also told him that she was pretty sure that Andy figured out who she was. As long as they were within the parameters of the suspension, he didn't care.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Andy took her mega basket into the kitchen and put it on her brand new granite countertop. She searched the perimeter of the basket but found no card. Maybe it was put inside she thought to herself. She gently tore the plastic wrap away from the basket. Immediately her eyes started to well up with tears. No card was necessary. She knew exactly who it was from. <em>Sam.<em>

She slowly took the items out of the basket. Pistachios, grapefruit, a bag of her favorite flavored coffee, her favorite cookies, a bottle of champagne and a jar of treats with the words Good Candy painted on the side. Not to mention the stack of DVDs tied with a bow. Andy looked through the titles and was caught by surprise. They seemed like mostly romantic movies. She wouldn't have taken Sam for a romance movie guy then of course she got the hint.

Remember Me

Only You

Drive Me Crazy

It Happened One Night

So Undercover

Just My Luck

Imagine Me and You

Breakin' all the rules

It's Kind of a Funny Story

The Story of Us

It's Complicated

Definitely, Maybe

Can't Hardly Wait

Date Night

Whatever It Takes

I am Sam

Andy stood smiling hardly registering the tears coming down her face.

"Miss? Are you alright?" one of the moving men had tapped her on the shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, don't mind me. I'm fine. I'm almost back to normal."

The man shook his head in confusion and walked back to the van.

**A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my son, Austin. Eight years in heaven. 2/3/03-1/1/04. God Bless and a Happy New Year to all.**


	5. Chapter 5 Cookie Pajamas

**A/N: Thank you for your kindness regarding my chapter. Not to mention the thoughtfulness regarding my son.**

**Chapter 5- Nothing's Better than Cookie Pajamas**

Andy woke up Friday morning with the biggest of smiles on her face. Nine more days till she could see Sam, till she could see that smile, hear that voice….. kiss those lips. She couldn't believe how thoughtful he had been. This was certainly a side she rarely saw. She must have looked through her gift basket a dozen times. She also couldn't believe that it didn't register that it was Sarah who delivered it until she had driven down the street. Of course she had looked familiar! The dark hair, the dimples and that Swarek smirk. One day, when she really got to meet her she would interrogate her about everything Sam. She had known him for two years now and he was hardly an open book but each little piece she learned about him, each little window he opened for her made her love him even more. _Love? _Love was a scary word for someone like Andy. She loved her mom and she left her without warning. She loved her dad but he chose alcohol over her one too many times. She loved Luke and he betrayed her in the worst possible way. Was she ever really in love with Luke? That was a real conundrum. She didn't feel half of what she feels for Sam and they aren't even together. _Are they?_ I mean obviously not physically but they have probably been together longer than before they actually got together. _Overthinking again Andy, Sam would be calling you out on it right now._

Andy sat up on her bed and looked around at the sea of boxes in her room. While the task seemed daunting, she didn't care. This place was hers to do what she wanted with. She was going to take her time and make it perfect. Okay, well maybe not take her time but at least she had nine days. Once she could get back to work and was able to be with Sam again she knew that her condo would take a backseat. In any event, this was the first step in getting her life back to normal. As she unpacked a wardrobe of clothing into her closet her phone started to ring.

"Hello."

"Hey, it's me. How's the unpacking going?" greeted Traci.

"Slowly but surely. Are you still coming over tonight?"

"Yep but Leo will be with me, if that's okay. Jerry's going out of town today to testify in court. They extradited Dalton Watts down to Hamilton and Jerry was the arresting officer. He will be home late tonight."

"Sounds good to me. Tell Leo will set up the tent for a campout."

"I am **not** sleeping in that tent; my back was killing me for two days after that." Traci laughed "I need a bed."

"Speaking of bed's how is the cohabitation going? Is Jerry's place coming along?"

Traci smiled into the phone, knowing full well that Andy didn't care about the carpentry that was going on at Jerry's as much as the carpenter who was doing the work. "Sam is good."

"What?... I didn't even…..whatever." she exhaled a breath….. "I really miss him Trace. I can't stop thinking about him, what the hell is wrong with me?"

"Andy, you are my best friend but you have been avoiding your Swarekness for way too long."

"My Swarekness? What the heck is that?"

"Your feelings for Sam. They have been there for a long time and you kept putting them aside. I kind of blame myself for the whole Luke thing."

"What? How could you blame yourself?"

"Not the cheating part, the part of you even being with him. I wanted to protect you; I was so sick of you being disappointed with the mysterious sexy guy who was unreliable and who would hurt you. Luke seemed nice enough and I really thought he would be good to you. I should have kept my big mouth shut. More importantly, I should have never told you to put Swarek on ice, nothing was gonna put out that fire. I should have realized that night that you seemed more excited talking about what almost happened with Sam than I had ever heard you talk about Luke."

"Traci, only I am responsible for the stupid crap I do. Besides, I think I'm better off this way. Sam and I really got to be friends along the way. I get the feeling that we're both kind of vested in this now and while I wish we had gotten together under normal circumstances, I'm still glad I went back to the Alpine Inn that night. Does that make any sense?"

"Funny you should say that, he commented something quite similar to me yesterday."

"Really?" her voice sounded so hopeful.

"Really. I told him you missed him but you were doing okay. By the way, he is counting down the days as well."

"Oh my God Traci, you have to see what I got yesterday!" her voice raising a full octave as she completely changed topics.

"Can't wait. Listen, I've gotta get Leo to school. We'll be over after shift. I'm bringing dinner."

"Thanks Trace, see you later."

Andy hung up the phone and said out loud with a grin, "He totally misses me." With that she went back to her boxes.

* * *

><p>While Sam would have loved to have seen the look on Andy's face, he was happy enough to hear the story from Sarah. After the third recap, Sarah put her hand up to stop his questions, kissed her brother's cheek and made her way to go home.<p>

He was dying to see her but nine more days and this mess would be over and they could begin their "normal" lives. He had no idea how they were gonna pull it off since nothing about them had **ever** been normal. From their first meeting to their unorthodox hook up, nothing about their friendship or relationship had been normal BUT, if that's what she wants then he would try his darnedest to give it to her, starting with a date. A real date. Thanks to Sarah's idea he was already planning their first night together, their first real try at normal. He couldn't wait to spring that on her.

A random thought suddenly popped into his head. _I am NEVER going undercover again._ He had gone under for months at a time. It had been difficult to leave Sarah and his friends behind but he never had that special person that he had to leave. Here he was 12 days into his 3 week sentence and he felt lost without her. _When did she become the most significant person in my life?_

* * *

><p>Jerry had told Sam that he would be out of town for the day. Something about testifying at a trial. He let Sam know that the tile that Traci had picked out for the redo of the master bath was ready at the store. Sam said he would swing by and pick it up on his way to Jerry's. Today, he planned to rip out the old tile and then he would start with the new stuff and see how far he got.<p>

He got to the Tile's 'R Us Warehouse as it opened at 9. He picked up the tile, the grout and whatever else he needed and loaded up the back of his pickup. He headed directly toward Jerry's house. Ok maybe not directly. He quite possibly had the urge to drive by the old toilet factory grounds. No Andy. He drove on to Jerry's. _Sigh._

He let himself into the quiet house and headed for the master bedroom. Sam removed everything off the counter tops in the bathroom and placed them in the drawers or in the bedroom. He ran and got a garbage can and lined it with a contractor bag. Sam lined the tub and the counter top with old blankets, threw on safety goggles and started banging away. A few hours later not an inch of tile was left on the walls. Unfortunately not an inch of the bathroom was without dust and debris. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, a layer of dust covering him from head to toe. He started to clean up the tile mess filing the can only till he couldn't carry it. After three trips to the curb, the tile was all out. He dusted himself off, then grabbed the shop vac and vacuumed up all the dust and small remaining pieces. Once everything was cleaned up to his satisfaction he made his way to the kitchen to find some lunch. After a sandwich and an iced tea he went to return the sandwich fixings to the fridge. That's when he saw it. The picture.

_Flashback_

_A group of them had been at the Penny one night. It was the week of equine training. Traci had shown up at the final competition against Division 27, playing around with her new camera that Jerry had gotten her for her birthday. Sam remembered him and Jerry looking through the slideshow of pictures on the camera. Most were of Andy and Chris in their equestrian gear. Andy looked adorable. He chuckled at her and she looked over his shoulder to see what was so funny. He could remember the smell of her hair and how warm his body felt wherever she was leaned up against him. He almost asked her out that night but then heard her talking about being a lone wolf and figured that was a sign that she was just not ready. Chris had taken the picture of the four of them. Jerry and Sam sitting there with Traci and Andy behind them smiling over the guy's shoulders._ Sam grabbed the picture off the fridge, hesitated for a second before slipping it into his back pocket. _Nah, they won't miss it._

* * *

><p>Sam went back upstairs and mixed the thin set mortar for the tile. He started from the bottom and worked his way up since he would have to cut those pieces with the wet saw. Hours later he had about half the shower area done. He had only cursed a few times during the process. His pissy mood changed considerably once he heard his name being called from the hallway.<p>

"In here Leo."

Leo walked cautiously into the bathroom and found Sam standing on a step stool in the shower adjusting tiles.

"Wow Sam, you know how to do everything?"

Sam smiled, "My dad was really handy and I watched him as I grew up. I learned a lot from him. Before I was in the police academy, I worked as a carpenter's apprentice…..like a helper."

"I could be your prentice." Said Leo, Sam couldn't help but smile.

"Oh sure. But right now I know you are really busy with school. How was your day today?"

"It was great. This big bully, Denny Cutillo, got in a whole lot of trouble. He was teasing this group of girls, as usual. They told the principal, Mrs. Gallagher. Her face got very reddish. Then she told him that he had gotten on her last nerve and he said he didn't remember getting on her first nerve. She was not very happy with him. Now, he has to eat his lunch in her office every day for the next week, so the rest of us kids were pretty glad about that."

"I bet." Said Sam

Leo picked up one of the tiles and looked over at Sam, "Can I help you until we have to go to Aunt Andy's?"

"Oh sure…. Why are you going there?"

"She just moved into her new house and Mommy and I are go help her unpack and do stuff AND she is setting up the tent for me and her so we can have a sleepover!" Sam never wanted to go camping more than at that moment.

"That sounds nice. Tell her congratulations and I hope she invites me over one day."

"I think she will but she already told me that she can't wait for her partner to come over. I heard her say to mom that she needs him to help her test the bed. I'm not really sure what's wrong with it but I told her that I would test it when I come over since I am such a good jumper." It was all Sam could do not to laugh out loud.

Sam asked Leo to hand over the tiles piece by piece as he needed them. Leo's eyes lit up as he remembered another story.

"Hey Sam, I have another story for you….One day when Aunt Andy was chasing after this bad guy she tripped and fell to the ground. The guy picked up some kind of shovel thing and was gonna hit her with it when all of a sudden he dropped to the ground. Aunt Andy said that her partner had zapped him. I'm pretty sure he used a lightning bolt, you know, like Thor!"

_Sam thought back to that crazy summer day. The heat was really starting to get to people. All the nut cases were out. He and Andy had been riding together. She jumped out to chase a drunken disorderly man down an alley. Sam tried to cut him off. He got there just as the perp raised a fireplace shovel over his head to strike Andy. Sam had his _Taser _out in a flash and leveled the guy to the ground. _

_Sam had felt something for Andy long before that day but the thought of her in danger made him sick to his stomach. Later that same day they had found a 13 year old girl behind the wheel of a runaway ice cream truck. They brought her to the station and interviewed the girl, Dara, and her father. Andy really seemed to connect to the pair as she had a similar relationship with her own father. For the first time that he could remember since they met, she shared a little about her personal life and then who do they run into, Monica. He remembered how flustered he had gotten. Not because of his on/off nurse friend but because Andy was there. He got a vibe off of Andy, he wasn't sure what it was, he almost thought jealousy….for about a second. Monica made a big deal over the cut in his hand and Andy left to go back to the park with Oliver. He tried to play it cool as Monica stitched up his wound but she saw through him like a sheet of glass. She gave him an out and he took it. Didn't matter anyway. What could come of their relationship? That's what he thought anyway until a knock at his door came late that night. There Andy stood breathing heavily and just so…sad. When he asked her if she wanted to talk he meant it. The look in her eyes told him immediately that conversation was not what she was looking for. In a split second she was coming toward him, her hands on his stomach and she leaned up and kissed him. Then those hands slid up his chest and around his neck as they both deepened the kiss. Next thing he knew, he was guiding her into his house with one hand and locking the front door with the other. Now it was him who was breathing heavy. He couldn't get enough of her; he could have stayed like that all night. Then the lights came on._

"Sam, hellllloooooo, those two tiles you just did are really crooked."

Sam looked over to the spot he just finished and for sure, they were crooked. He grumbled and fixed the two tiles so they were in line with the others.

"Thanks bud, what would I do without you?"

At that moment they heard Traci yell up to Leo that they were leaving in 15 minutes. Sam hadn't realized that it was almost 5:00. He started to pack up for the day. Leo carefully stacked the extra grids of tiles in the corner.

"Hey Sam how about another story about your partner? You only told me about the day you met her."

Leo's story still fresh in his mind Sam told him about the day of the power outage.

"Ok…There was this one crazy day. It was very hot outside and then the power went out. No power meant no air conditioning, no traffic lights and a whole lot of angry people. My partner and I had stumbled upon a crazy case where a young girl had taken a truck and crashed it at Garrison Park. We couldn't figure out why. My partner went with Mr. Shaw to check around by the park and they got a call about a missing girl. My partner had a feeling that the two stories were related. I didn't really see it. They went to check things out near the rec center. Mr. Shaw got …..hurt and the bad guy took his gun. My partner got help for him, found the missing girl, got the bad guy and Mr. Shaw's gun back. She is…. smart and she was so brave that day. It's like her gut told her that there was something more to the case when no one else believed it."

"I've heard about that, feeling your guts. Aunt Andy told me about that. her partner taught her that. I think it's a little bit gross, don't you?"

"When you put it that way buddy, it kind of is." Sam laughed.

Just then Traci poked her head in the door. "Hey guys….Wow, Sam…it looks fantastic, I'm so excited."

Leo ran to get his sleeping bag and stuff from his bedroom.

"Good. I'm glad. I think this is the last big project Jerry had for me. I should be able to finish up tomorrow. If you think of anything else Nash, just let me know. It's not like I have any other plans."

"I know you're probably going stir crazy. Andy is too. We're actually sleeping over there tonight. I'm gonna help her unpack, hang pictures. I told her there's no hurry but she acts like there's a deadline. You know, like one day it will have to just be done because there will be somewhere else she wants to be."

Sam grinned, "Nine days Nash, tell her that's all she's getting."

"Yes sir. Will advise." She said as Leo ran back in the room.

"See you tomorrow. Hey Leo, have fun with Mom and Aunt Andy."

"I will. See you tomorrow Sam."

* * *

><p><strong>Sam's Friday Night<strong>

Sam had promised Zoe the week before that he would take the girls out for a night so Oliver could take her out on a date night. They were going to dinner and then to a show at the local theatre. Sam loved the Shaw girls and was looking forward to being the cool uncle for the night. He drove home, quickly showered and then headed for the Shaw's. When he pulled up in the driveway three sets of blue eyes were staring at him from the bay window. He beeped the horn and watched them run to the front door.

He had barely gotten in the front door when three sets of arms were wrapped around him. Always a boost to his ego. Zoe approached him immediately.

"Girls. Girls. Give Uncle Sam a second to get in the door." Said Zoe.

"Hey brother. Thanks for taking the girls tonight." Oliver patted Sam on the shoulder. "They have chosen Chuck E. Cheese for your dining pleasure this evening."

"The girls squealed with delight." Sam shot Oliver a look that said you definitely owe me.

After transferring car seats to the backseat of Sam's truck, Zoe and Oliver left for their 6:30 reservation. Sam got the girls situated and headed for the kid's theme restaurant. Izzie, all of 9, was the mother hen and boss not only to her sisters but to her uncle as well. Telling him how to go, where to park and reminding him to hold her little sister's hand. Kelsie, 7 was known as the spy. She could get any information out of anyone, charming them the whole time. She and Leo would make quite the duo, Sam thought to himself. Then there was little 5 year old Maddie. One bat of those eyelashes and Sam was putty in her hands. Actually, they all seemed to have that effect on him which brought him to his current predicament. Chuck E. Cheese pizzeria was one of those all-inclusive jungle gym, arcade, and bad food restaurants. Sam had been there once before. One night Zoe had a meeting at the school and Oliver had recruited Sam to come with him as back up. He wasn't sure if he was gonna be able to do this himself. Each girl got stamped with a number that would match the number on his hand. The idea was that kids could run around and play and parents didn't have to worry about their kid being taken by a stranger. Sam and Andy had been dispatched to one of these places not that long ago. A guy dressed in a chicken suit had been shot in the beak. Yeah, he knew how crazy these places could get. The girls weren't going to be out of his sight. No chance.

They decided that they would eat first and then go play. After consuming an entire pizza and no caffeinated beverages, as per Izzie's instructions, they headed for the game room. Sam put money in the changer, cashed out what appeared to be about a thousand tokens and gave each girl a handful. He kept them in the same area then they would move as a group. An hour later they were begging to go in this climbing jungle gym tunnel thing. Sam said yes and told Izzie to keep an eye on the girls. He was watching from outside the structure of tunnels which looped around the entire room. Each time they would come down a slide they would scream for him. It was getting close to 8:15 and his patience with the other kids and some of their parents was wearing thin. He saw the three of them come down another slide and told them that it was time to leave. He put the sneakers that he had been juggling for the past half hour on the ground. He kneeled in front of Maddie who put her feet up on his thighs so he could tie her shoes. She looked up at him with those piercing blue eyes, through those long lashes and he knew whatever she asked him next the answer from him would definitely have to be yes.

"Uncle Sam?" _Here it comes._

"Yes Maddie?"

"When we get home can we watch a princess movie?"

He looked up at her two sisters who were now giggling at Sam's expression.

"Uh…sure honey."

* * *

><p>By the time they got back to the house, Maddie was half asleep, until Sam carried her inside. As soon as they got inside her room her bright eyes opened and she ran for the DVD collection. Izzie ordered her sisters to brush their teeth and then they got into pajamas.<p>

Within 5 minutes they were cuddled up on the sofa with pillows and blankets watching Tangled. Fifteen minutes in and the girls were asleep. So was Sam. It was actually the camera click from Zoe's iPhone that woke him. Fortunately, he was used to Oliver's antics so he didn't jump which was good since Maddie was snuggled up on his chest.

"How was your night?" Sam asked Zoe as she gently lifted Maddie off of Sam.

"Great, thank you so much Sam." She whispered.

Oliver woke up Izzie and carried Kelsie to her room. When he came back in the room Sam was shrugging on his jacket. "Why don't you just crash here for the night?" asked Oliver.

"Thanks but I'm gonna head home. Gotta finish up at Jerry's tomorrow."

"Thanks a lot Sam, for tonight. I hope one day that we'll be able to return the favor for you…..and Andy." He said with a grin.

Sam rolled his eyes at his friend and then smiled, "You couldn't just leave it at thanks right?"

"Night brother."

"Night you guys."

The Shaw's watched the lights of Sam's truck flash against the house as he pulled out of the driveway. Oliver pulled Zoe's phone out of his pocket. "Zoe, show me again how to send a photo?"

* * *

><p><strong>Andy's Friday Night <strong>

Traci and Leo picked up take out Chinese food and were at Andy's a little before six. Leo checked out every inch of the place before settling in front of the TV with a bowl of sesame chicken. Traci and Andy sat at the kitchen counter catching up on the latest gossip and goings on at the division. Traci noticed the basket sitting on the kitchen counter and gave Andy a nod.

"Is that what you wanted to show me?"

"Yep." Replied Andy with a mouthful of chicken.

"Who's it from?"

When Andy didn't say anything and just grinned. Traci asked, "Swarek?"

"Shhsh Trace." Nodding in Leo's direction.

"Do you think Leo is gonna report you guys to Frank?" she laughed.

"Just don't want Leo to say something in front of Jerry and then he tells Oliver and …..you know."

"Mums the word." Said Traci as she pretended to zip her lips.

"So I get the Champagne and your favorite treats. What's the deal with the Good Candy jar? Pistachios and Grapefruit?"

Andy explained the significance of each item in the basket and then read the DVD message. Traci was quite surprised.

"Wow, who'd of thought that Swarek was such a romantic?"

"I know!"

"By the way, he says you have nine days."

"Nine days for what?"

"I'm guessing nine days to set up this place….., then it's gonna be lots of good candy." She smirked.

Andy couldn't help but smile.

They unpacked the rest of the boxes and even hung a few pictures. It was starting to look more like home and that alone for Andy was a great relief. Andy changed into flannel pajama pants and Sam's t-shirt and as promised set up the tent in the middle of the living room. Also as promised, Traci refused to sleep in the tent. She opted for the sofa instead. They watched a movie for a while and Andy was surprised when it was Traci who was asleep first. Leo and Andy finished the movie and snuggled into their sleeping bags. Andy asked him about school and his friends. He animatedly told her about the bully who now had detention for the week. Suddenly he had an odd look on his face.

"What's up buddy, something wrong?" Andy asked concerned.

"Aunt Andy, I think you might get mad at me."

"Mad at you? I could never get mad at you. What's up?"

He hesitated before speaking softly, "You know all of those stories that you have been telling me about your superhero?"

"Yes. My partner?"

"Well,… I've been telling some of the stories to Sam…..Please don't be mad. He has all of these cool tools and I really wanted to help him and I figured he wouldn't want some little kid around but I slipped about the superhero and then he wanted me to tell him some stories. _Of course he did. That was Andy's only thought as Leo finished his rant._

Andy smiled. She hadn't really considered about Leo telling Sam the stories but now she was kind of glad that he did. Besides, it was obvious that Sam wasn't giving up that he was the partner, so she figured no harm done.

"Leo, its fine. I'm not mad. You can tell Sam the stories. He is a great guy and a very close friend of mine. He won't tell anyone."

"I made him promise not to. But guess what?"

"What?"

"He thinks that **his** partner has super powers too!"

_Yeah sure. Like being a magnet to danger and destroying any UC op within a 5 mile radius?_

"Really?" She asked.

"Yep. He says she's so smart and really brave. She feels her guts and even solved a whole crime on her first day of work! Can you believe it?"

"No. I can't .So Leo, tell me a story."

Leo started to tell her what he had learned that afternoon but got sleepy and mid story was snoring soundly. Andy was having a hard time getting Sam out of her head to get any sleep of her own. Suddenly she heard her cell phone chime with a new text message. She grabbed it off the coffee table and saw that it was a picture message and from a number she didn't recognize. She opened the picture and there was Sam with a little blonde girl snuggled on his chest, 2 others lying on the sectional sofa near him. The message read, "Hey McNally, C what U have 2 look forward to? Hang in there kiddo. Oliver."

Andy grinned at the image. For some reason it was all she needed to finally fall asleep.

* * *

><p>Sam woke up early Saturday morning. As he stretched his legs and made his way to the kitchen, he couldn't help but grin at the Shaw girls. He had really enjoyed himself with them. Not that he would tell that to Oliver. In the past he never really could picture himself with kids. Not so much being a father as much as sharing that experience with anyone he had ever dated. He didn't want to get ahead of himself but the truth was that he could totally see himself having children with Andy. How he could even come to that realization after such a short time together was even scarier. But his mother had been right all those years ago when she told him "when you know, you'll just know."<p>

* * *

><p>He showered quickly and threw on a black t-shirt and jeans. He stopped to get doughnuts and was on his way to Jerry's. Jerry had coffee waiting when he got there. They sat and ate while Jerry recapped his previous day in court. Jerry filled Sam in on the goings on at 15 Division and they planned a poker game for during the week. Twenty minutes later Sam was propped on the step stool in Jerry's shower. Sam showed Jerry how to spread the mortar and place the tiles. When Sam felt he was confident to leave him for a few minutes, he grabbed the tiles he has marked for cutting and headed to the yard to set up his wet saw. Around 11:00, Traci pulled into the driveway. Sam was back in the bathroom straightening the tiles that Jerry had put up. Jerry went downstairs to say hi to Traci and Leo. Just as well, since Sam couldn't bear to hear about how much fun they had with Andy. A brief time later, Leo bounded up the stairs and into the master bath.<p>

"Hey Sam. I'm home to help you."

"Hey buddy. How was your night?"

"Great. Aunt Andy's new house is really nice and the tent fit perfectly in her new living room. …..I told her that I told you about some of the superhero stuff and she wasn't even mad!"

_Uh oh._ "Oh, what did she say?"

"She told me that you were a great guy and you are her close friend and it was ok."

Sam ignored the "friend" part.

"I told her that you have an amazing partner too. She got all smiley about that."

Leo who had been talking like he was hopped up on caffeine suddenly got quiet. Sam looked down to him and he was staring at Sam's chest.

"What's up bud?" Sam queried.

"Can I smell your shirt?" Leo asked timidly.

"What? Why?" Sam was baffled.

"Does your shirt smell like cookies?"

"Uh….no. Why would you think that?"

"It's just Aunt Andy had that EXACT shirt on last night. She kept sniffing it the whole night. I just figured it must smell like something really good and what's better than cookies?"

Sam grinned at Leo, thrilled to hear who now held ownership of his shirt.

"Nothing Leo. Nothing's better than cookies."


	6. Chapter 6 Panic, a Puzzle & a Poem

**A/N: My apologies for the 6+ weeks of waiting for a new chapter. I have no excuse except a busy life and serious writer's block. This is probably the hardest chapter ever for me to write. Thanks to DCJ for her daily encouragement for me to move my ass. Should be two more short chapters after this. I won't promise any short timeframe for updating; we all know I would be lying. :)**

**I Think You Might Be Superman**

**Chapter 6-Panic, a Puzzle and a Poem**

Four more days. He wasn't sure, but as THE day got closer, he felt like all the days leading up to it seemed to get much longer. Sarah had called him that morning and asked what his plan was for the big "Suspension's over, let's go lock ourselves in the bedroom for a week party!"

"Nice Sarah, you're so funny."

"Joking. …..So little brother, what are you up to today?" she continued before he could answer. "The girls have off from school and we were thinking of taking a ride up to see you. What do you say?"

"Sounds great. I'm slowly going insane here. There's only so much cleaning I can do and I finished up at Jerry's last weekend."

"Aw, poor Sammy, missing his girl." Hearing him practically growl at the other end she changed tactics. "So, are you nervous…about seeing her again?"

"No." he said more confidently than he really felt. "Not nervous….ok, maybe a little. More anxious than anything. It's gonna be even stranger since I'm sure that Frank will be letting us ride together anymore."

"Well,….. You **could** go back to being just friends?" she smiled into the phone.

"Not a chance, Sarah. I'd rather be partnered with Epstein every day than go back to being friends." It came out a little more panicked than he wanted to let on.

"Geez,….. kidding….you are so touchy...more so than usual." she added.

"Sorry Sarah. I don't mean to be short with you. I would love for you guys to come, what time should I expect you?"

"I'm thinking that we'll be there around noon,…. sound good?"

"Sounds great. Be safe."

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, Sam heard knocking on his front door. Sarah stood back while her two daughters were swept up into their uncle's arms. Twelve year old Bailey was Swarek through and through. Dark hair, dark eyes, overly protective of her sister and already held a senior license in sarcasm. Hannah was ten with her mother's dark eyes but her father's sandy colored hair and a smile that never seemed to leave her face. Sam adored the two of them and his heart soared every time he got to spend time with them.<p>

"Uncle Sam!" they both yelled as he gave them a squeeze.

He held them at arm's length, "You guys are growing up way too fast. I'm starting to feel old." He said

"You are old." Sarah said with a smirk.

Sam hesitated before replying with a grin, "I''ll always be younger than you."

Sarah raised her hands in quick surrender. "Okay, you win …..Listen, the girls and I are hungry, so before we do anything you need to feed us." She grinned.

"I can do that." Sam smiled back "I know just the place."

* * *

><p>Sam pulled Sarah's SUV into the parking lot of Hamptons Bar &amp; Grill. Jack Hampton was a retired NYPD cop. His wife, Dottie, was Canadian and longed to go back to her native home. After he handed in his papers they packed up and headed North. Jack ended up loving Toronto. The city was amazing and the people were great. His only regret was not being able to fraternize with his old cop buddies and talk about the job. With Dottie's encouragement he invested in an old barrestaurant not far from 15 Division. Coppers frequented the place and would stop in daily to grab a bite or a drink and shoot the bull with him. It was a win win in his book. Sam had taken an immediate liking to Jack and the two had become fast friends. It was actually Jack who had first called Sam out on his feelings for Andy.

_**Flashback**_

"_Okay Swarek, what's her name?"_

"_Who's name?" Sam looked around._

"_The gal that has put that big grin on your face."_

"_I dunno what you're talking about." He looked down at his menu._

"_Uh huh." Jack said under his breath._

_Andy, who had gone directly to the ladies room upon their arrival now hopped up on the stool next to Sam. Sam still did not look up from his menu._

"_Well, hello beautiful,... what can I get you?" Jack _

_Andy blushed and looked over to Sam._

"_Jack meet my rookie, Andy McNally. Andy this is Jack Hampton. Jack is retired PD from New York."_

"_Nice to meet you Jack." Andy shook his hand and looked at her own menu._

"_They didn't look like Andy when we were in the academy, eh Sammy boy?"_

_Sam rolled his eyes at Jack for lack of a better response. They gave Jack their lunch orders and he walked away._

"_Thanks again for last night by the way." She flashed him a genuine smile_

"_Huh? Oh yeah anytime McNally. Glad to help."_

"_I'm grateful and I know Bennie's mom was too…I actually had a lot of fun despite the circumstances." she smiled again._

"_Of course you did, I'm always fun."_

"_Yeah right, I must have missed that side of you these past few months."_

"_I am. You just haven't had a chance to enjoy my fun side yet."_

_Andy whipped her head in his direction. Sam stared at her with his mouth open, ready to insert his foot. Fortunately, their food was placed in front of them and they resigned to eating._

_They made small talk when Jack came over to them but the subject of fixing Bennie's mom's sink or anything surrounding that night was never brought up again. Jack and Dottie watched them from the corner of the bar. Sam would occasionally rest his arm on the back of Andy's stool and Andy would touch Sam's arm almost every time she went to tell him a story. The looks and smiles between the two were obvious. No one could deny the fireworks between the two partners. The only question was why weren't they together?_

_As they got up to pay the check, Jack asked Sam if he could talk to him for a minute. Sam handed the squad keys to Andy and told her that he would be right out. She bid goodbye to Jack and headed for the car._

"_What's up?" Sam already knew by the look on Jack's face where this was going._

"_So,... the gal's name is Andy huh?"_

"_Knock it off Jack, she's my rookie, I'm her training officer. …It's a losing proposition. Besides, she's dating Callaghan."_

"_Sam, I've known you for years. I've never seen you so… caught up with someone." _

"_Jack…."_

"_Don't Jack me; don't let life pass you by because of a silly rule."_

"_And the boyfriend?" Sam questioned with the raise of his brow._

"_A technicality. She's too sweet and too smart to stay with that stiff."_

"_You don't think it might be a sign….that it's not meant to be?"_

"_Come on Swarek, we're cops. We don't believe in signs, just facts and the fact is, you're crazy about that girl."_

_It was Dottie's turn to chime in. "You know Sam, you can't help who you fall in love with, but you can help yourself by doing something about it."_

"_Appreciate the thoughts guys but I really have to go." _

_End flashback_

Sam couldn't help but smile as he put the car in park. The foursome walked into the busy restaurant. Sam gave a nod to Jack as they were led to their table. They had just shrugged off their jackets when Jack approached the table.

"Hey Swarek, haven't seen you in ages and all of a sudden you're keeping company with three beauties. Lucky man."

"Yes I am Jack." He shook the older gentleman's hand and went to introduce his family.

"This is my big sister, Sarah and my nieces, Bailey and Hannah."

Jack grinned at the girls, "Helloooo ladies. So nice to meet you." He shook each of the girl's hands and Sarah's as well. "Don't you two have school or did you just play hooky to see your uncle?"

"We have off today for teacher development day." Bailey explained.

"Well how lucky for your Uncle Sam. I actually haven't seen your uncle in a couple of months." He raised an eyebrow to Sam.

"We're here to help Uncle Sammy plan a perfect first date with Andy. You see, he loves her and mom thinks he's gonna mess it up."

"Hannah." Sarah said under her breath.

"And I heard her telling daddy that she really wants to be an aunt." Hannah added.

"Hannah!" Sarah rolled her eyes.

Sam shot a glance at his sister and let out a sigh. "Everyone ready to order?"

* * *

><p>They ate their meals talking mostly about school and the girls' many activities. Dottie came over to say hi to Sam and to meet the girls. She took the girls into the kitchen and let them make their own ice cream sundaes.<p>

"Last I knew you had gone undercover." Jack commented as he straddled one of the girl's vacant chairs.

"It was supposed to be need-to-know, who told you?" Sam questioned.

"Andy told me….. She came in one night after shift. She had a rotten couple of days and looked really down. When I tried to cheer her up, she told me that the day before, there was a car fire. She had saved the woman only to find out later that the woman had died at the hospital. She kept rambling about not taking chances, missed opportunities and how you were gone and now you would never know. Apparently she went to your house that night but you weren't home. The next day at roll call Shaw told her that they had moved up your UC assignment. She looked…heartbroken. Did something finally happen between you two?"

_Sam had felt terrible leaving Andy at the accident scene especially when he came back and saw it burned to the shell. He was so relieved to see her he almost hugged her. She looked happy to see him as well. There was a moment there, they both leaned in and he really thought it might happen...a kiss. And then the moment was gone. He would swear that it was her who pulled back but the look on her face as she walked away was one of regret. So when Boyd came looking for him to go early, he knew it wouldn't be an issue._ He looked at his cell phone and turned to Jack.

"When she left that message, I had started my assignment already. I only got it when I came home. We ran into each other during my op and well…..I think we're on the same page now." He grinned.

"Heard about the suspensions from Shaw." Jack glanced over at Sarah and winked. "I think if ever there was a reason to get in trouble, I'd say that's the way to go." Sam hung his head and actually felt himself blushing.

Perfect timing had the girls walking back to the table to eat their ice cream, extra spoons in hand. Fifteen minutes later they were on their way back to Sam's house.

* * *

><p>Sarah and the girls put together the blank puzzle that Sarah had bought on her previous trip. Sam went into the kitchen drawer and pulled out a folded map of Toronto. The girls, quite professionally, glued the map onto the puzzle board. Once it was dry, Sam used a sharpie marker to outline and number a few local stops in the area. Sarah used a craft knife to recut the pieces. She placed them in the box and wrapped it with a bow. Attached to the bow she tied an extra set of car keys from Sam's truck. That being done, she and the girls went to work on the dinner invitation.<p>

Sarah's original plan was to only write a short note and they would drop it off at Andy's house. The girls decided it should be a poem, that rhymed no less, and **they** wanted to bring it to Andy. Sam was not jazzed about the poem idea but he didn't dare argue with this nieces. He appreciated their enthusiasm and could not deny those faces.

Two hours later the girls read the poem to him and damn if he wasn't impressed. They typed it up on his computer and sealed it in an envelope. Not before enclosing one of his uniform lapel pins with his badge number on it. Sam would make the appropriate stops tomorrow and set everything up for Monday. He knew that Andy would be on a regular day shift. He on the other hand had to report to guns and gangs for a brief meeting in the morning, then be weapon cleared and finally he'd end up on desk duty since he still had to wear his brace for a few more days. Even though he probably wouldn't get to see much of Andy during the day, at least it would afford him the opportunity to put the box in her locker and then he would catch a ride home.

By five o'clock, the girls were saying their good byes and wishing their uncle good luck. He promised to visit in a couple of weeks. They made him promise that the visit would include Andy. As always, he conceded to their terms.

* * *

><p>Andy stood in the doorway and looked at the first finished wall of her bedroom. She was covered in denim blue paint. It seemed like there was more on her person than on the walls but she had been rushing and there it was, a little on her cheek, a streak through the messy bun of hair her. Not to mention the spatter on her t-shirt. As she stood admiring her work she heard the doorbell ring. She put down the paint roller and tried not to track paint through the rest of her place. She opened the door and was surprised to find two young girls.<p>

"Hi there." She gave them a megawatt smile.

"Are you Andy?"

"I am. Who's asking?" she grinned.

"Wow, you ARE really pretty." Hannah blurted out. Bailey shot her sister a look and then looked back to Andy.

She chuckled at the girl, "Why thank you honey."

"We can't tell you our names but we have a very important delivery from a very special person."

Bailey handed her the envelope. Just then Andy noticed a dark haired woman standing by the sidewalk in view of her house.

"Is that your mom?"

They both looked over their shoulder and then back to Andy.

"Yes." They said in unison. Andy waved, immediately recognizing the delivery woman who had dropped off her gift basket from Sam.

"Well, thank you girls for the delivery."

"You're welcome."

"Bye." Then she added with a yell,"Bye Sarah."

The three laughed and headed for their car.

* * *

><p>Andy closed the door behind her and carefully opened the envelope. A TPS pin fell into her palm, the number 6114 engraved in gold. She unfolded the note and began to read:<p>

**Roses are red, Violets are Blue, we've organized a treasure hunt just for you.**

**On Monday night after your shift open your locker and you'll find a gift.**

**Attached to the gift you'll find some keys, take the truck, and drive safely please.**

**Solve the puzzle and wear the pin, the map will tell you where to begin.**

**You'll make a few stops, then its dinner for two, destination is Pine Street, just him and you.**

**This note is from us, our special guy is too cool, but he said you liked puzzles so we knew what to do.**

**Rhymes aren't his style but he'd do anything for Andy.**

**So have fun at dinner and don't save the good candy. **

**It's been a long three weeks. He wasn't sure what to do,**

**Of one thing we're certain, he's crazy about you.**

Andy grinned and note in hand skipped back to her bedroom to finish painting. She couldn't wait until Monday.

* * *

><p>Sam was just getting ready to shower Friday morning when the phone rang. It was Jerry, sounding a bit panicked. Jerry explained to Sam that Leo's birthday was the following week and he had started building a tree fort for him but was running into a few snags. Sam could only imagine what constituted a snag when it came to Jerry.<p>

"I have a few errands to run this morning but I'll come by this afternoon."

"Thanks buddy. By the way, next Saturday night we are having a birthday party for Leo, I think he would love for you to come to his birthday dinner. He has really taken a shine to you." Then he added. "Of course McNally will be there as well."

"You don't need to bribe me. He's a great kid. I've enjoyed hanging out with him. I'll be there."

"See you later."

"You got it."

As Sam hung up the phone he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Leo was a smart kid, he was eventually going to figure out that he was the character in Andy's stories and she in his. They would have to make it a point to sit down with him that night and tell him the truth. That issue resolved in his mind, he headed for the shower. He made his stops and talked to each of the owners, all who have known him for years and were happy to help their very own Officer Swarek with his special request. Finally he headed over to Jerry's. There was no answer at the front door so he walked around back. Jerry was sitting in a deck chair staring at a partial frame, extra planks of wood and a plethora of tools. Jerry had done a great job building the frame, the only problem was that he didn't start building it IN the tree. Sam chuckled and shook his head as he approached his friend.

"Soooooooo, what exactly was your thought process here?" Sam started to laugh.

"I know Sam, dumb idea. I figured it would be easier to build it and then somehow hoist it into the tree. I guess I didn't think it all the way through. You know I'm not good at this stuff, and stop laughing at me."

"Don't worry Jer, we'll figure it out." Sam tied his tool belt onto his waist and started to carefully unattach the sides of the tree house from its base. They established the limbs that it would rest on and painstakingly balanced it. Sam immediately started building supports to attach it to the tree. Now that it was sturdy, they were able to reattach the wall sections. At this point it was starting to get dark so they gathered up everything in a corner of the yard and headed inside to clean up. Traci was just getting home from shift after stopping by her mom's to pick up Leo.

"Hey Sam." Leo approached Sam as they partook in a very intricate handshake.

"Hey buddy, how've you been?" Sam smiled.

"Great. I got my report card today and I got 3 A's and 2 B's."

"I don't doubt that for a second."

"Hey Sam. Traci and I are making dinner, why don't you stay?" Jerry yelled from the kitchen.

"Thanks. That would be great. I'm gonna get cleaned up and then I'll help you."

"No way. You can hang with Leo and we'll call you guys when it's ready."

"Hey Sam, wanna watch Transformers with me?" Leo yelled from the den.

"You know I do. Set it up, I'll wash up real quick."

Sam used the bathroom and headed back to the den. A still frame of Optimus Prime was paused on the TV screen.

Jerry brought out a beer to Sam and chocolate milk for Leo as they hit play on the DVD remote.

Leo was quite animated as he commented on the cars and trucks in the movie and discussed the plot in detail. Obviously this was not his first time watching the film.

There was a particularly action packed scene which included multiple explosions and hails of gunfire. Sam felt Leo jump in his seat. He turned to Sam and asked matter of factly, "Do you ever get scared doing your job?"

Sam contemplated that for a minute. He felt the need to be honest but at the same time did not want Leo to be in fear of his mother's safety.

"There's a certain amount of danger that comes with the duties of our job on an everyday basis. We're trained how to be safe and how to protect ourselves but sometimes situations can come up where things go sideways and we have to think quickly on our feet. For example, a few months ago, my partner and a bunch of other young cops were working over by the SuperNova Arena."

"Isn't that where they have concerts?" Leo asked.

"Yep. In fact, there was a concert that day. Generally those are a pretty easy gig. Unfortunately, the concert people promised more tickets than there were seats in the place. There were hundreds more people there than they could fit and it got a bit out of hand. People were fighting and pushing and things started to get crazy. Anyhow, I had just walked away from my partner to help with the crowds when I heard gun shots. I ran to where the shots came from and saw two people lying on the ground. One of them was my partner, the other was a young woman who had come with her friend to the concert."

"Did the woman survive?"

"No bud she didn't …..she died. Fortunately my partner got hit in the vest. That was the most scared that I've been in a long time."

"Were you scared that someone was going to shoot you too?"

"No, I really didn't have time to consider that, all I could think about is that I almost lost her." Sam swallowed thickly just recalling the day.

_He had to go be the boss. He knew she was in good hands. Oliver would take care of her. He couldn't get the vision of Andy out of his head, blood spattered across her face, lying on the ground. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that it seemed to mute the chaos around him. When Kate's friend came charging toward the scene, he had jumped in front of her. He hugged her, not really sure if he was trying to calm her down or trying to calm himself down._

"You must really care about her."

"I do. I definitely do….. Partners have a special relationship…. they work closely together….they have to rely on each other…."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Leo interrupted.

"Excuse me?" No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get the smile off his face.

"I was just wondering. I mean I heard Jerry and mom talking the other day about your suspenders and that soon you would be smiling again when you finally got to see your girlfriend and I see you smiling about your partner alot."

Sam smiled with the intent of avoiding the discussion but Leo gave him an out.

"What happens when you get shot in the vest, does it hurt?"

"You definitely feel it and it leaves a big bruise."

"Like a black and blue?" Leo asked, an oddly curious expression on his face. He turned to look back to Sam, studying him for a moment and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but then chose not to.

"Yep. Better than not having the vest though right kiddo?" said Sam

Suddenly Traci was in the doorway, "Leo, wash your hands, it's time for dinner."

Leo eyed Sam up and down and then made his way to the bathroom.

"What's with him?" Traci asked.

Sam shrugged and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Leo was not his usual chatty self when he sat down at the table for dinner. Instead, quiet and curious. Sam replayed their conversation in his mind trying to figure out what might be the reason for Leo's sudden change in demeanor. Before Sam could comment, Jerry brought up the Brennan case and they started to discuss the progress that had been made in the investigation. Every once in a while Leo would shoot Sam a curious look. Finally, Leo looked over to his mother and with a grin asked, "Is Aunt Andy coming to my birthday dinner?" <em>Yeah, that definitely got Sam's attention.<em>

"Of course she is. Andy would never miss your birthday."

Leo's grin now was fixed on Sam, "Great. This is gonna be my best birthday ever."


	7. Chapter 7 Wow, this is normal?

**A/N: Thank you again for the kindness in your reviews. I am thrilled that you are enjoying the story. Oh by the way, I lied again. Shorter chapter? Yeah right. 6000+ words later. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 7-Wow, this is normal?**

Sam had spent the weekend at Jerry's completing the tree house. It really looked awesome if he might say so himself. He had hoped to see Leo's face when he saw it completed but Leo had been with Dex for the weekend and was not expected home till 8:00 pm. Sam packed up his tools and with an all knowing grin told Traci and Jerry that he would see them tomorrow at work. He couldn't wait.

When he got home that night around 6:00, his answering machine light was blinking. He had two messages. The first was from Sarah wishing him a good first day back and of course much luck with his date. The second was from Frank advising him that his meeting with Guns and Gangs at Headquarters was postponed until noon so he would expect Sam at parade first thing in the morning. Sam couldn't wait to get back to work. He had never been suspended before so the three weeks off had been a new experience for him. If he really thought about it, there were quite a few things that he had never experienced before he met Andy McNally.

In his hurry to finish at Jerry's, he had bypassed lunch, so he made himself a huge plate of pasta and sat down to watch the hockey game. His mind was really on anything but hockey. He was going through his mental checklist. His house was clean, he had shopped for whatever he would need for his dinner with Andy and now it was just a waiting game. He was so anxious, he wished he could just wake up and it would be Monday night. As he heard the commentators announce the beginning of the third period he shut the TV. He got up and washed the dishes, then headed to his bedroom. Between his time undercover and the suspension period, it felt a bit strange packing his bag with his uniform again. He took down his lock box with his weapon and pulled his boots out of the closet. Finally, he washed up and changed for bed and hoped that sleep would come quickly.

* * *

><p>Andy could hardly believe that she had slept a wink the night before. She felt like a kid waiting for Santa to come. She was so excited to finally see Sam but the truth was that she really missed her job as well. She leapt from the bed and practically ran to the shower. There was no chance she was going to be late today.<p>

* * *

><p>Sam continued to watch his alarm clock almost willing it to sound. He had been staring at the ceiling for the greater part of the last hour hoping to get back to sleep but no such luck. Finally the alarm blared through the room and he headed for the shower. A short time later he was showered and dressed and pouring coffee into a travel mug. He still had an hour before parade so he headed to the car wash. Andy would have his truck tonight and she would expect nothing but immaculate from him. Forty minutes later he was pulling into the Division parking lot. He shut the engine and sat for a minute trying to calm his nerves. He wasn't sure when he turned into THIS guy but he was pretty sure that it coincided with the arrival of a doe eyed fresh faced rookie slapping the cuffs on him. Yep, he was positive that that was just the beginning of Andy mastering her skill of wrapping him around her finger even if she was clueless to her abilities."<p>

* * *

><p>Sam was relieved that the locker room was fairly quiet, until suddenly it wasn't. It was almost as if they sensed his presence that Oliver and Jerry strolled in and sat on the bench in front of his locker staring at him. Right behind them were Epstein and Diaz. The truth is, he was thrilled to see them. All of them.<p>

After man hugs and handshakes everyone got suited up. Jerry headed for his office and left Oliver sitting next to Sam, both men tying up their boots. Shaw noticed Sam's bag in between them and was just about to grab the white box with the red ribbon just as Sam zipped up his duffle bag and threw it in his locker.

"Not a chance Shaw." Sam smiled

"Aw come on Sammy, you can show me, I can keep a secret."

"Yeah sure.…. Ya know…. I would but we really have to get going." Sam snapped his locker shut, spun the dial and headed for the door. He chuckled as he heard Oliver slam his locker and mumble something about, No one tells him anything.

* * *

><p>Andy kept looking toward the door and then back to the front of the room. She repeated the pattern five times before Traci finally grabbed her arm. "Careful McNally, you might strain your neck and that might put a damper on your sexy time with Swarek tonight."<p>

"Traci!" she couldn't help but grin at her friend. "What makes you think…" she was whispering.

"Oh please, I saw what was in your duffle bag. Apparently, Victoria's not the only one with a secret." She folded her arms in front of her.

The women leaned in, heads together, "He sent me a poem. Well actually his nieces wrote a poem for me…. from him. He's gonna put something in my locker today. It's something like a treasure hunt." She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Wow. Swarek is really full of surprises." She looked over her shoulder. "Speaking of prince charming, look who just walked in."

Andy whipped her head around to see Sam sit on the back table next to Oliver. She really wasn't looking to bring any more attention to them but she couldn't help the smile that took over her face, even better he was giving one right back to her. He gave her a wink just as Frank walked in to begin parade.

"Good morning Coppers. Three quick notes this morning before you head out. First, all uniformed officers will be attending retraining exercises beginning next week, please check the schedule for your days. Secondly, we're looking for volunteers to spend one shift a week at the local schools as part of our community outreach program. The signup sheet is on the bulletin board. Last order of business,…..today we are happy to welcome back two of 15th's finest, Sam Swarek and Andy McNally." A round of applause filled the room. "It's been a long time, ….glad to have you back. Swarek you're to report immediately to the gun range for recertification then straight to booking. Once you're medically cleared you will be put back in the rotation for patrol. McNally check the board for your assignment. Now serve, protect and …..please,….stay out of trouble." With that, everyone started to disperse to their assignments. Andy checked the board and saw that she was partnered with Noelle for the day. As if on cue, everyone vacated the parade room while Andy and Sam still lingered. Noelle looked between the two, gave a quick eye roll and smiled. "McNally, meet you outside in ten."

Andy acknowledged with a quick nod of the head and came to stand in front of Sam.

"Hey." He said with a smile.

"How've you been?" she gently traced her finger over the scar under his left eye.

"I'm good, really good… now." He wanted to say so much more. "I missed ya." He whispered.

Andy moved her hand to his name tag and pretended to straighten it. "Missed you too." She whispered back looking up at him through dark lashes. She was feeling overwhelmed by her need to touch him, to make sure that he was really there. He placed his hand over hers against his chest.

"I really wanna kiss you right now but I don't want to push our luck on our first day back." He smirked.

"That's okay." She leaned in. "I'll let you make it up to me tonight."

"Sounds like a plan." He grinned as they both headed for the door.

She nudged his shoulder, "I thought you didn't like making plans?"

"Only when they're with you McNally." He winked and was out the door.

* * *

><p>Sam met up with Lieutenant Galvin at the gun range and went through the required exercises. Not surprisingly, he passed with flying colors. He felt good enough to go back on duty but apparently doing construction on his time off did not go unnoticed by his physician, who refused to sign off on his medical form. He would therefore have to suck it up for another week at a desk. Fortunately, it was a very busy day which made the shift go quickly. He got to see Andy later in the morning, only briefly as she handed off a shoplifter to be fingerprinted. They signed him in and headed back out to patrol. Around 11:30, Sam headed over to headquarters for his Guns and Gangs meeting. In the meeting was Superintendent Peck, two officers from Internal Affairs, the Head of Guns and Gangs and Sam's police union delegate. He was deposed by his union representative as to the facts of the Brennan case regarding Donovan Boyd. He was more than happy to oblige. Sam was the first one to support his brother officer, however, this time it hit too close to home. Boyd had no regard for him or Andy or the innocent lives of Margaret and Gracie Brennan. He would never be able to live with himself if he let this get swept under the rug again, despite the fact that he would have to rehash his and Andy's involvement.<p>

Two hours later he was back at the barn in booking. He found it funny that normally he loathed being assigned to booking. A parade of characters was marched through the doors to be processed. However, nothing was going to sour his mood today. He left Officer Andrews at the desk momentarily and ran to the men's locker room to get Andy's box. He slipped into the ladies locker room without being seen and quickly made his way to her locker. He had watched her open her locker a hundred times so breaking in was a piece of cake. The fact that he knew her combination wouldn't surprise her. She would smile that he remembered. That was the main reason for her making the stops around the city tonight. Well, part of it anyway. Since they both were on the same shift, it would certainly buy him some time to make sure everything was perfect for their date but also it was a chance to show her that even though he hadn't made his feelings known, he had been paying close attention from the very beginning.

As quick as he came in was as quick as he was out and back to the desk. When shift was over he went immediately to get changed and find a ride home. Jerry was in the bullpen when he came out and was happy to give him a lift.

Andy was practically skipping into the women's locker room after shift. A fact that did not go unnoticed by…well anyone. Noelle was right behind her and behind them were Traci and Gail. Andy immediately opened her locker to find a white box with a red bow. Attached to the bow were Sam's truck keys. She couldn't help the grin that was overtaking her face.

"Hmmm, looks like someone got a present." Noelle commented.

"Come on Andy, open it up. Let us see." Gail interjected.

Andy hesitated for a second; quickly slipping the keys in her pocket, then untied the bow and opened the box. The girls weren't kidding when the poem said solve the puzzle, in the box was an actual puzzle. She loved puzzles but really Sam? This man was gonna be the death of her.

"Want some help?" Traci asked.

She was torn. Sam was a pretty private guy but at the same time all she could think of was that the sooner she put together that puzzle, the sooner she could be with Sam.

"Yeah, that would be great." It looked to be about a hundred pieces. They moved over to the towel table outside the showers and dumped the pieces out. Traci and Andy started to fit pieces together. Noelle pulled up a stool and tried to help. Gail rolled her eyes and walked right past them and out the door. She was more interested in seeing if Detective Callaghan would like to take her to dinner then help Andy McNally with her love life.

They were about half way through the puzzle which was starting to take the shape of a Toronto city map. Suddenly they heard a knock on the door. In walked Chris and Dov.

"Ice Queen told us that Swarek made you a puzzle." Said Dov as he looked over her shoulder to see what she was doing.

"Do you want some help?" asked Chris.

"Sure, ….why not?" said Andy.

"Amateurs, everyone knows you build the border first." Now, it was Oliver looking over their shoulders and pushing the guys to the side.

Before Andy knew it, the six of them had completed the puzzle. She grabbed her note pad and wrote down the stops and addresses. Now it was time to get dressed. She grabbed her stuff to jump in the shower.

"Uh, excuse me?" she waved the men out the door. "Do you mind?" she laughed.

Andy quickly showered and dressed in skinny jeans, black boots and a black flowy top. She dried her hair wavy and did her makeup, dramatic but not over the top. She grabbed her notes, the keys and her bag and headed for the parking lot, where her friends were waiting patiently.

"Wow, Andy you look gorgeous." Said Chris."

"He's right Andy, you do." Traci commented.

"Rock n roll McNally." Said Dov.

"Don't you guys have lives?" she chuckled

Then from the car parked next to Sam's truck, "McNally, McNally, don't you see, this is like the perfect storm. All the stars are finally aligned for you two, so go get your man already." She blushed at Oliver and hopped up into Sam's truck. As she waited for the truck to warm up she fished Sam's pin out of her bag and pinned it to her jacket lapel. She turned the radio on, a track on the cd started to play, 'I can't wait to see you.' She smiled; glad he had been enjoying the cd she made him.

* * *

><p>The first stop on the map was a liquor store on Dundas. She walked in not really sure what she was supposed to do but not to worry; the owner was waiting for her. "Good evening, you must be Andy?"<p>

"Yes, I am. My friend sent…."

"Your **friend**" he raised an eyebrow and grinned. "….left something for you." He acknowledged the pin on her jacket, reached behind the counter and handed her a bottle wrapped in a clear cellophane bag.

It was her favorite wine. A staple for her and Traci's girl's nights. _How would he know that?_ She never drank wine at the Penny and she didn't recall any discussions of favorite alcoholic beverages with him. She grinned and said thank you to the man and made her way back to the truck.

The second stop was at Sabbatino's Italian Bakery. Andy loved that place. When she was a kid, she and her dad would go there every Sunday morning to get fresh rolls and then he would let her pick out any treat that she wanted. It was a small but good memory that she was able to hang onto from her childhood. Again, she walked in and the owner walked up to her.

In her thick Italian accent she said, "Good evening Andy, I'm Maria. Your sweetheart picked this just for you. He said it was your favorite."

"Can I look?" Andy asked.

"Of course you can."

She opened the box and once again another of Andy's favorite things. Red Velvet cake. She shook her head_. It had been a passing comment._ One of the officers wives, had twins, a boy and a girl. He had red velvet cupcakes some with the icing colored pink and the rest with blue. Andy had mentioned it was her favorite but to no one in particular. Only Sam would remember something so insignificant.

Her last stop was at the Perfect Petals florist on King Street. For the third time that night, she was approached by the owners of the shop. This time she knew the couple, Mr. & Mrs. Evans.

_Months before there had been a robbery at the jewelry store next door. Sam and Andy had taken the report and during their canvas of the area had come in to get a statement regarding any information they might have about the perps or the getaway vehicle. It was the very first call on her very first shift after she broke up with Luke. She had spent the day teetering on the border of anger and hysterics the entire day. Somehow, she held it together. Barely. To the average person she was just having a bad day but Sam knew there was more to it. He had asked her immediately what was wrong and in typical McNally fashion she had deflected the conversation. As she finished up with the Evans' they handed her a single daisy. She immediately put her hand up and said that she couldn't accept it. Mr. Evans put his hand on her shoulder and said, "It seems like the real crime is such a sad face on such a beautiful girl." She had smiled at the gesture. Her first genuine smile in 36 hours. Such a sweet act of kindness. Her mood was a little lighter the remainder of the day. _

Mr. & Mrs. Evans saw her walk in the shop and called for one of the employees to handle the counter.

"Hello, Ms. McNally, is it ok if we call you that?" said Mrs. Evans.

"Andy, Andy is much better."

"Well, Andy, we have something for you." Andy was already blushing.

They walked with her back to the walk-in fridge and handed her the most stunning bouquet of Gerbera daisies. _Her favorite, of course._

"Thank you, they're gorgeous."

"You're welcome. We're happy for you and Sam. He's a good man that Swarek." Said Mr. Evans.

"I know. He definitely is. Thanks very much."

* * *

><p>Andy hoisted herself back into the cab of the truck and seat belted herself in. She hadn't even gotten to Sam's yet and she was already a bit overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness. She was bordering on tears and trying her hardest to keep it together. A couple of deep breaths and she was headed in the direction of his house.<p>

* * *

><p>Jerry had dropped Sam off and wished him luck. As soon as he got in the door he started getting dinner under way. He set the table and even took out candles. He had been torn about what to make for dinner. He decided on one of his mom's recipes that happened to be one of his favorites. Chicken Hunter. He chopped and sliced and mixed and finally layered everything in a glass baking dish. Once that was in the oven, he ran to shower. Afterwards as he stood in front of the vanity shaving, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. This girl had him jumping through hoops and he quite frankly…he loved it. He had never wanted to make things so perfect for a woman before; then again, no woman had ever come close to Andy.<p>

He finished in the bathroom and put on dark jeans and a button down shirt. He must have played with the buttons ten times. Buttoning and unbuttoning. Rolling the sleeves up then back down. He threw on shoes and straightened the comforter on his bed. He had changed the sheets before he left for work, just in case. He smiled to himself, again. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

He headed back to the kitchen to start the risotto and make a salad. About halfway through, his cellphone rang.

"Swarek."

"Hi Sam, it's Tom Evans. She just left."

"Thanks for the heads up and for your help." Sam said.

"Be careful son, she looks stunning; you are in big trouble my friend."

Sam chuckled, "Don't I know it. Thanks again."

Suddenly, the butterflies were back.

* * *

><p>Dinner was almost ready. Sam heard the rumble of his pickup truck in the driveway. He wanted to run out the door, grab her and carry her in but he was <strong>trying<strong> to hang on to his last shred of manhood. He smiled as he heard the knock on the door.

She looked beautiful. Her hair was down and wavier than normal. Her makeup looked different than he had ever seen it and her face was rosy. He wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or that she was blushing. "Hi." Andy said smiling at him, the wine bottle tucked in her arm with the cake box in her hand and her flowers in the other hand.

"Hey you." He immediately reached out to grab the wine and the cake and placed a kiss on her cheek. Her face was warm. _Definitely blushing. _ He held the items with one hand and grabbed Andy's hand in the other and walked her toward the kitchen. She hung on to the flowers and let him guide her, neither one saying a word. Mr. Evans was right, she was stunning_. And yeah, he was in a whole lot of trouble._ They walked into the kitchen, Sam still holding her hand. Andy looked down at their intertwined fingers and then back up to his eyes. He took the wine and the cake and placed it on the counter. He helped her shrug off her jacket and Sam laid it over the dining chair.

He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her gently. When he pulled back, it was her turn to pull him closer. He kissed her again until their need for air was too great.

"I've been thinking about that all day." He admitted.

"Thank God, I thought it was just me." she said shyly.

She looked down at their hands joined once again and then up to his face with a smile. "So, it's JD is it?"

He immediately knew she was teasing him after her comment undercover.

His face got very serious. "No, It's Sam, …it was always Sam." He kissed her again. One hand in her hair the other on her waist. God knows they could have stayed like that all night. The timer on the stove went off shaking them out of the stupor they were in. Sam cleared his throat.

"Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a glass of wine?"

"No way. Partners remember? You finish your cooking, which smells unbelievable by the way, and I will pour the wine."

He pointed to the cabinet with glasses and grabbed a bottle opener out of the drawer.

Andy poured them each a glass and set them down. She then hopped onto the counter where she could watch him. He took a step toward her and boxed her in. She held out a glass to him, feeling a bit flushed by his proximity. "Um…..Should we toast to something?"

"Ok. How about to being normal?" he chided.

"We can do better than that." She smiled.

"Fine. Fine." He thought for a few seconds and then raised his glass to hers. "Here's to taking chances."

"Aw come on, I've been sooooo good. Ok, well before the whole Brennan thing. Haven't I?"

"I meant **you** taking a chance on **me**." All humor left her eyes as she realized the sincerity of his words.

"Oh." No matter how hard she tried she couldn't look away from his stare. He turned to stir what was on the stove.

"This is my favorite. How did you know?" she pointed to her glass.

"I just know." He smiled.

"Come on. How? I don't remember us ever talking about wine or me ever drinking it with you." She prodded.

"Nash. We were partnered one day and she was talking about how you guys had a ladies night with entirely too much of your favorite pinot noire. Something about your super powers and hanging things straight…..oh yeah, about those super powers…Leo…."

"Yeah. I know." She said embarrassedly. "I hope you weren't uncomfortable..I mean, they were just stories….don't get me wrong, I think you are an amazing cop…."

"Andy. Andy." He tried to slow down her nervous chatter. "I didn't mind it…. at all. Honestly, I loved that you were talking about me. Those super hero stories are what got me through those three weeks. Even though we couldn't talk I felt like I was hearing it from you. By the way, I think our friend is on to us. Did you ever tell him about you getting shot?"

"No, …..well, actually I think he did find out. I had been at Traci's and was showing her my bruise and Leo walked in. He freaked out a little bit, so Traci explained what happened. Why do you ask?"

"I was over there the other day and that was the story I told and he got really quiet. I think we are gonna have to have a chat with our little friend at his birthday."

"Definitely."

* * *

><p>They sat down to a leisurely dinner. Sam was an exceptional cook. Not only was the food delicious but the conversation flowed easily, not an uncomfortable moment had passed. They discussed going back to work and talked about what they did during their time off.<p>

"God Sam, this was so good. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I mean you did tell me that you cook, you clean, you're an excellent driver and …oh yeah you're good with tools. By the way, you really are good with tools! I saw the work you did over at Jerry's, so great. I might have to recruit you for my new place."

"Whatever you need. I felt bad that I couldn't be there to help you with everything. Especially the testing of your new bed." He winked.

"Oh my God! I told Traci that he heard us talking." She laughed.

* * *

><p>They cleared the table and cleaned up together. Sam had bought her favorite French vanilla coffee. Then it was time to bust out the cake.<p>

"Ok. How'd you know about the Red Velvet cake? It was the cupcakes for Dennison's twins, right?"

"Yep."

"I can't believe you remembered that. Such an insignificant thing. You were really paying attention."

"McNally, you have no idea." He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.

* * *

><p>They relocated to the den with two giant pieces of cake and their mugs of coffee. Sam sat with his feet up on the coffee table, Andy kicked off her boots and sat next to him her feet bent under her.<p>

"Okay, so how did you know those were my favorite flowers? And don't say you just knew."

Sam hesitated before answering. "Last year, your birthday, Luke bought you roses, I remember the look on your face. Then Diaz got you one of those big flowers. From the look on your face, I could just tell. I ended up going to see Tom and Karen the other day and just tried to find the same flowers. I didn't even know what they were called. They laughed at me. You must think I'm an idiot."

"No. Actually, I think you are unbelievably sweet. Especially, to go through all that trouble. Even the puzzle, the poem, so thoughtful."

"My sister and my nieces were a huge part of that." He admitted.

So how are Sarah and the girls?"

He grinned. "They're great. They were really excited to be involved in this whole…thing."

"I didn't put it together right away that day when she delivered the basket but then she smiled and it was like looking at you….only prettier." She winked. "The dimples were a dead giveaway. Then the girls came over, they are adorable."

"I know. They are too much. Every time I see them I feel like I've missed so much time. They are just growing up so fast. By the way, they really want to meet you, you know…..officially."

"I would love that. That poem was pretty great. Not as great as my DVD message but great."

"You liked that did ya?"

"I loved it. Didn't know you had it in you."

"I think there is a lot about me that you might be surprised about."

"Really? Like what?" she said seductively.

"I'm sorry, but that's on a need to know basis." He replied in kind, his dimples beaming.

Andy got up from her seat and straddled his lap, staring into his eyes with a bravado she never felt before. "Well in that case, I think I definitely need to know." She leaned in and kissed him. Sam couldn't help himself. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her closer. When he couldn't handle it anymore, he planted his legs firmly on the ground and scooped her up, her legs hooked around his waist and her hands around his neck, he carried her to his bedroom.

* * *

><p>In that moment all he could concentrate on was her neck. That slender neck and oh God, he was pretty sure that no one should smell that good. He couldn't leave enough kisses on that neck. Until he was suddenly sidetracked, by her hands, unbuttoning his shirt. Before he knew it, it was off. He couldn't stop staring at her as she ran her hands over his chest. He felt like he was having an out of body experience. His body felt warm everywhere she touched. Finally, as his heart was beating out of his chest his eyes met hers. Her hands went down to the hem of her shirt and she gently pulled it over her head only to throw it on the floor next to his.<p>

Andy couldn't get over how many things Sam had noticed, how many little things that he had taken the time to know. _Who does that?_ In any event, it was her who was noticing things now. She noticed how dark his eyes got every time she smiled at him, she noticed how she could feel his heart beat get faster every time she moved her hands over the muscles of his chest and most of all she noticed that she never noticed how drawn to this man she was.

They had done this before. They had been intimate before, very intimate. So why did he feel like he was discovering her for the very first time? She stood before him in a purple lace bra. He had never seen anyone sexier in his life. He unhooked the button on her jeans and then slid them down those legs that went on for miles. _Oh God, matching underwear. _

She loved the way he was looking at her. It was as if she was the only one in his universe. She didn't miss the almost hiss-like sound that escaped his lips as she unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down his muscular legs. From that point on nothing went slow. The rest of their clothes came off in a frenzy, three weeks of wanting suddenly bubbling to the surface. He backed her up toward the bed and she flopped down with a giggle. He just stood there staring down at her and she could hear the definite hitch in his breath.

"Sam. What?"

"You're beautiful, ya know that?" He crawled up the bed to lie next to her.

"Thank you." She blushed.

He paused for a second but the pep talk from Oliver resounded in his head._ "She must mean an awful lot to you for you to let her get near you while you were undercover "Three weeks is not forever. When you get the chance man up and put yourself out there."_

"I never told you that." He brushed the stray hair off her face. "I never told you a lot of things."

"Sam, don't. It's not all on you. I wasn't exactly….. forthcoming."

"Promise me something Andy." His eyes never leaving hers as he spoke.

She nodded in agreement, it didn't matter what he would ask her.

"Promise me that whatever this is between us, that we give it a fair shake. I don't think my heart could take it otherwise."

"Oh Sam, I wouldn't…I could never….."

He cut her off, "I would imagine that with your tendency to save the world and my tendency to try to overprotect you, things might get….dicey at times. Just….don't give up on me okay? Relationships…. aren't exactly something that I've had time to master but I know that this is something I want more than I've ever wanted anything."

"Sam you're the one person who NEVER gave up on ME and you are by far the most stable person in my life."She rubbed her finger across his jawline. "We are in the same place, finally. This isn't casual for me either. I would't have risked everything, my job, our friendship, my life if I didn't know that this is what I truly wanted."

She pushed him on his back and climbed on top of him. "And as far as the relationship stuff goes, so far everything has been just...…heavenly."

He gave her a shy grin as he gently pulled her toward him to kiss her.

"Heavenly huh?" as he gently rolled her onto her back.

"Mmm hmmm." She ran her fingers through the hair at the back of his head.

"C'mon, I'm pretty sure I can do better than that."


	8. Chapter 8 Birthday Surprises

**A/N: I know it has been FOREVER and I am so sorry for that. This was a somewhat arduous chapter to write. Not really sure why. This is the final chapter to the story. Thank you so much for following along. I have had so much fun writing this, I really appreciate you feed back.**

**I Think You Might Be Superman**

**Chapter 8-Birthday Surprises **

Sam and Andy had spent most of the next week getting reacquainted with each other. Their friends had almost resorted to begging to get them to come to the Penny but they insisted that they were still making up for their three lost weeks.

It was the day of Leo's birthday party and would be their first time with their friends as an official couple. Andy was excited and anxious at the same time. She had gone straight to Jerry's after work on Friday to help Traci set up for the kid party. Traci couldn't be more excited. She had always made a big deal but because of the limited space at her mom's she couldn't get too crazy. Jerry had encouraged her to pull out all the stops. Traci had taken off on Saturday to have the kid party and then they would host their friends and family over for dinner that evening. It would be a special night for Leo and their first occasion to have everyone over since their cohabitation.

_Flashback to Friday_

_They had just walked through the den slider onto the patio when Traci nudged Andy's hip. "Glad you could break away from your sexfest for a few hours to come help me." Traci chided as she dumped a bag of assorted decorations onto the picnic table. _

"_Traci!" she laughed and craned her neck in the direction of the den where Jerry and Leo were playing Xbox._

"_Oh, don't worry, they didn't hear me. They have selective hearing. Like if I was talking about food, then they would definitely hear us."_

"_It's not like that you know." Andy admitted as she draped a plastic Sponge Bob tablecloth over a table on the patio."_

"_Not like what?" Traci asked._

"_It's not about the sex." She couldn't help the grin that was taking over her face. "Don't get me wrong, it's amazing and I can't get enough of him…." She grinned. "….but we just have fun together, we laugh all the time and we just somehow….we fit. It feels like what I always thought a normal relationship would be and God knows he and I don't do anything normal. Does that make any sense?"_

"_Sure, sure, I get it, he's your person. I'm just amazed that you're actually allowing this for yourself. Allowing yourself to be happy and to go for what you want, what you REALLY want. I'm glad for you."_

"_Me too."_

_End flashback_

She had been pooped when she had gotten home from Traci's around ten with every intention of going straight to sleep. She took a quick shower and threw herself on the bed. She must have flipped from her front to her back a dozen times. When she couldn't stand it anymore she grabbed her cellphone off the nightstand and dialed the familiar number.

She could almost see him smiling as he answered and immediately asked, "You missed me didn't you?"

"No" she lied, a grin on her face.

"That's ok. I missed you too." He admitted.

They talked for a few minutes about nothing in particular and before hanging up decided that Sam would pick Andy up before shift and Andy would make them breakfast.. The conversation had been short but was all she needed to finally succumb to sleep.

* * *

><p>Andy had just finished drying her hair when she heard a knock at her door. She opened the door and had barely gotten a hello out before Sam's lips were on hers. Her arms were quickly wrapped around his neck. When they finally broke apart, Andy grinned and said, "Morning. You're early."<p>

"Morning McNally." He said it in that low gravelly voice. The one that sent a shiver down her spine. This time it wasn't so much the voice as much as the look he was giving her that was causing butterflies to stir in her stomach. His eyes were taking her in as if he'd never seen her before. She was slightly unnerved and not sure what he was thinking. "I couldn't go back to sleep so I came over early. Unless that's a problem." He smiled.

"It's definitely not a problem, ...it's just,... I'm running a little behind, …..I didn't start cooking…"

"Andy" he nudged her in the direction of her bedroom. "Finish dressing and I 'll start in here."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Andy walked into the kitchen unnoticed by Sam. He was busy cracking eggs into a bowl and of all things, whistling. Andy came up behind him and put her arms around his waist and her chin on his shoulder. He put one hand over hers, enjoying the simple but intimate gesture. She reluctantly broke away and poured him his usual cup of black coffee and then took over the cooking. He came to rest against the counter next to the stove where she stood.<p>

"You didn't need cook, we could have stopped on the way in."

"I know but I wanted to." She smiled.

"So, tonight is Leo's birthday gig?"

"Yep. Traci said six o'clock sharp."

"Ya know, I was thinking that I would shower after work and I could swing by and drive you if you want. I figure you wouldn't want to walk after a full shift or ...you know if you didn't want anyone to think….…."

Andy listened to him ramble, an almost shy look on his face. She put the spatula down and turned to face him, her fingers hooking through his belt loops. "Sam,…. I want us to go together. I'm not hiding this." She motioned between them.

"I just thought, well…..we haven't been out …together and I thought maybe…."

"Don't overthink it Sam, I wasn't hiding our relationship, …..I just wanted you all to myself." She grinned.

"I can definitely live with that."

* * *

><p>Since they had been reinstated Andy had mostly been paired with Noelle but today she was partnered with Oliver. She never minded riding with him. She found him funny and she was always entertained by the stories of his children. Andy pulled out her cell phone and showed Oliver the background screen. It was the picture of Sam snuggled up with the Shaw girls. Oliver smiled.<p>

"Thought you might like that."

"I do. I would love to meet your girls one day. Between you and Sam, I have heard some pretty hilarious stories about those kids."

"Well McNally, today is your lucky day. We'll be at Jerry and Traci's tonight."

"That's great, I can't wait to meet them. This should be fun."

"And how about you… and Sam?"

"Yep, we'll be there too."

"You're right McNally, this will be fun." He chided.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like a never ending shift, Andy made her way to the locker room. She threw her stuff into her bag and quickly made her way home. She showered and dressed and was fixing the last of her makeup when Sam knocked at the door. He was freshly showered and shaved and looked …..heavenly. Judging by the look on his face he was feeling the same way about her. It was definitely going to be a long night.<p>

Andy pulled on her boots and opened the front hall closet to pull out a wrapped package. It was thin but heavy and had a handle attached to it. Sam picked it up to put it by the door.

"What did ya get Leo?" he asked.

"It's a pop up tent. I thought it was time he had his own. When he and Traci would stay over and it was cold out, Leo and I would pitch the tent in the living room and sleep in it. Traci and I promised him that we would take him camping this summer."

"I know. He invited me to come with you guys." Sam mentioned

Andy couldn't help but grin. "Sam Swarek camping? You don't even like the outdoors."

"You and me snuggled in a tent? I could think of worse things."

"Me too." She giggled. "So what did Leo's favorite superhero get him?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's a tool set just for kids. It comes with pre-cut pieces of wood and you nail them together. There's instructions to build projects. I thought he would have fun with it."

"That does sound fun. If I didn't know any better, I would think that you had gotten kind of attached to the little man."

"At first I was just glad to hear him tell your stories but it didn't take long before I was looking for him to be around. Plus, he is a much better helper than Jerry and we even have our own handshake." He grinned.

"I bet you do." Andy laughed. "Ready to go?"

"I'll bring this stuff out to the truck." He threw on his jacket and grabbed his keys off the counter.

Andy grabbed her purse and her jacket and locked up. _Here goes nothing._

* * *

><p>There were plenty of cars lining the street when they pulled up at the house. Sam hopped out and ran around to the passenger side. He grabbed the wrapped gifts from her hands and she jumped down from the cab of his truck. Andy tried to hide her anxiety and was planning for as subtle an entrance as possible. She walked ahead of Sam and bounded up the front steps. She went to knock but stopped her hand in mid-air and turned around to face him.<p>

"Andy, what's wrong?" he tilted his head in question.

She took one step forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She gently pulled him toward her for a soft kiss. Sam leaned into her and almost dropped the packages, but the kiss was over as quickly as it started. Andy stepped back with a grin.

"Feel better?" he asked with a smile.

"Much. Let's do this."

She knocked on the door and within a few seconds Traci opened the door, the sound of laughter and music filtering out to the porch.

"Hey you two! Glad you could make it. Leo has been asking about you guys all day."

They walked through the foyer into the living room and immediately Oliver announced their arrival.

"Well if it isn't our old friends Sam and Andy. Hmm….Sandy? No. Swandy? No. Swardy? Definitely no. McNarek? Uh uh, I got it. McSwarek. Yep, that one is a keeper."

Sam and Andy both rolled their eyes and shook their heads at him. Andy felt the blush start to warm her cheeks. _Yeah, so much for subtle. _Almost on cue, Leo came racing in from the kitchen and threw himself at them.

"Happy Birthday Little Man." Andy kissed his cheek as he wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Thanks Aunt Andy. Hi Sam!"

"Hey buddy, happy birthday." They proceeded to show Andy their special handshake.

"Thanks Sam. Are those presents BOTH for me?"

"Yep."

"Yes!" he jumped up and down then a pouty expression quickly took over his face …... Mom says I can't open any of my gifts till after dinner."

"That time will be here before you know it and just think of all of the surprises you have to look forward to later."

"I can't wait."

Jerry was finally able to get a word in and took Sam and Andy's jackets to hang up.

They quickly said hi to Dov and Chris and Noelle. Sam recognized Jerry's neighbor and his family and waved hello. They then made their way into the kitchen to get a drink, effectively avoiding any more outbursts from Oliver for as long as possible. Mrs. Nash and Zoe were helping Traci get some snacks out. Andy had briefly met Zoe once at the station.

"Good to see you again Mrs. Nash." Sam said.

"Hello doll. Good to see you." She leaned over to Andy and gave her a hug. "How are **you** doing? How's your new place?"

"Good Mrs. Nash, settling in. Thanks again for having me for so long."

"Not a problem honey. Unfortunately now I have an empty nest. You left and now Traci and Leo are living here with Jerry and its back to just me. While I thought I would be glad to have my house back to normal, I kinda miss the craziness." She smiled.

"Well anytime you want us to come over and camp out in your living room you just let me know."

The women laughed at that.

Sam meanwhile had leaned in to Zoe to kiss her cheek. He then stepped back and grabbed Andy by the hand. "Zoe, you remember Andy? Andy this is Oliver's much better half."

"Good to see you again Andy. Glad everything… worked out. You know." She winked, "I'm happy for you both." She said it quietly.

Andy nodded shyly but held onto Sam's hand. She could hear the sincerity in Zoe's voice. Andy was happy too, more than she could ever imagine. She talked a bit with Zoe while Jerry caught Sam's ear. Everything was fine until Andy heard Boyd's name mentioned.

"What about that idiot?" It came out a bit more forcefully than she planned. Sam leaned down to make eye contact and hopefully calm her down. Jerry now addressed them both.

"They completed the investigation into Boyd regarding the whole Brennan accident. Looks like he'll be released from the department effective immediately. Internal affairs was having a field day with him. Not just with the Brennan business but then him effectively putting another officer in harm's way." Sam felt Andy give his hand a squeeze. "They worked out a deal with him. If he confessed his part in the cover-up, the department would not press charges but he is out of a job so in his own self-made prison anyway."

"No kidding?" Sam asked.

"Nope." Jerry

Sam looked over to Andy who had unconsciously started rubbing his bad wrist.

"All's well that ends well, that's what I always say." Sam stated. Jerry knew that Sam was trying to make light of things so as not to stir up Andy's anxiety regarding her role in the story.

"Really Sam?... When do you say that?" she laughed.

* * *

><p>People were spread out between the kitchen, the den and the deck. After saying hi to everyone, Sam led Andy outside to see the tree house they had built for Leo.<p>

"Wow, Sam it's awesome. Leo must love it." Suddenly Leo and the Shaw girls came running out.

"Uncle Sam, Uncle Sam." The girls attacked him with hugs.

"Hello girls. Did ya miss me?"

A cheer of "Yes!" bellowed through the yard.

The two older girls and Leo climbed up into the tree fort. Little Maddie stayed put and grabbed Sam's hand. She looked up at him and then to Andy with a smile.

"Are you Uncle Sammy's girlfriend?" Andy considered it for about two seconds before Sam interjected.

"Um, oh ...well.…..Maddie this is Andy. Andy meet princess Madeline." He sputtered out. He was baffled that he could hold it together undercover with stone cold killers but an interrogation by a five year old practically brought him to his knees.

She shook Andy's hand and turned back to Sam. "So? Is she…. your girlfriend? Cause Daddy says that you are so happy now that the curse is lifted and you can live happily ever after. You know, like Sleeping Beauty."

Andy stood smiling in front of them, an eyebrow raised in question.

"You know what Maddie, Andy can be ANYTHING she wants to be." With that he leaned over and kissed Andy softly on the lips.

"Ew gross, Uncle Sam." Her theory satisfied, she ran over to join the other kids.

"So, girlfriend huh?" Andy kidded.

"Listen Andy, we don't need to put a label on anything, we can just….."

"Girlfriend sounds just fine to me."

They shared a smile before lazily walking back inside the house.

* * *

><p>Before long dinner was ready. The food was set up buffet style in the dining room but first Jerry and Traci got everyone together in the den.<p>

"We just want to thank you guys for coming to celebrate Leo's 8th birthday. Traci and I are glad to be able to host this party tonight as a family. We are thankful that everyone was able to be here... Leo, did you want to say anything?"

Leo smiled and pulled up a chair to stand on. Obviously fearless speaking to a group. "Thanks everybody for being at my birthday party. I want to thank my mom and Jerry for this great day and thanks to everyone for all the presents which I can't wait to open. Thanks to my Grandma for making my favorite cake. I want to specially thank my friend Sam who taught me how to be a prentice and helped build me the greatest tree house in the history of the whole wide world and thank you to Aunt Andy for being the bestest Aunt ever."

He glanced to the group and saw Andy snake her arm around Sam's waist. Sam leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head. They exchanged a smile and then looked back to Leo who suddenly was grinning from ear to ear. His eyes got wide as he looked back and forth from Andy to Sam. "I knew it, I knew it!"

"What is it Leo?" asked Traci

He pointed directly at Sam and blurted out, "I think YOU might be Superman." _Oh boy._

When everyone looked at Sam, Leo realized that he had just given up the secret that he told Sam and Andy he wouldn't. In a panic, he jumped down from the chair and ran up the stairs toward his bedroom.

Traci and Jerry were puzzled and started to head up stairs. Sam stopped them in their tracks. "You guys go eat, Andy and I will talk to him."

"You're sure?" Traci asked.

"Trace, I'll explain it later but this is sort of my fault." Andy admitted.

"It's OUR fault, but don't worry, it'll be fine." Added Sam.

They walked upstairs and knocked on Leo's door. "Come in." said a small voice.

Leo assumed it would be his mom but was surprised to see the couple before him.

He sat on his bed elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. "You probably hate me now."

"How could we ever hate you?" asked Andy as she sat next to him on his bed and slunk an arm around his small shoulders.

He sniffled, "You told me your superhero stories and told me not to say anything and I just spilled all your beans."

They tried not to laugh. "Leo, I should have never told you not to say anything. I just was excited to tell you about my awesome partner but I didn't want anyone to know how much I really cared about him."

Sam glanced over at Andy who gave him a shy smile.

Sam crouched down in front of Leo. "It's my fault too Leo." I loved hearing those stories from you. It made me really happy that Andy talked about me but I didn't say anything to you because I didn't want anyone to know how much I really cared about her."

Leo looked between the two of them and then wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeve. "Grownups are so weird."

Sam and Andy both nodded in agreement.

"So, you guys aren't mad?"

"Absolutely not. Actually, I think we're both really impressed that you figured it all out on your own." Said Sam.

"I told you guys, I'm gonna be a police when I grow up."

"Well you can be my partner any day buddy." Said Andy

Leo seemed to consider it for a second before replying. "Well actually Aunt Andy, I saw Sam kiss you and kissing is disgusting so I dont think I want to have a partner." He laughed.

Before long the three were laughing as Leo explained how he had in fact figured out that Sam was Andy's superhero. As he was nearing the end of his story he let out a big sigh.

"So when Sam told me the story about his partner getting shot, I membered Aunt Andy getting shot so I thought maybe you were talking about her. I saw big bruises on her tummy and her side when that happened."

"So why didn't you say something to me that day?" asked Sam.

"I wasn't a million percent positive yet. I still had to check for the goofy face."

Sam bit his lip and shook his head with a grin. "What goofy face?" asked Andy.

"Apparently, it's the face a boy makes when he likes a girl." Said Sam matter of factly.

"Oh…. I see. Did Sam make that face when he talked about me?" she asked very confidently.

"Yes, he did! And today you BOTH were making those faces. That's how I knew!" Leo seemed so proud of himself. Sam and Andy just smiled.

Just then Jerry and Traci walked in. "Is everything okay in here?"

"We're fine mom. I'm starving can I go eat?" Leo asked

"Yep, hustle down there, the Shaw girls are waiting for you."

"OK. Thanks Aunt Andy, thanks Sam." Leo started to run out the door when he came to an abrupt stop and spun around to face the four adults.

"Hey Sam, I was just thinking,…..next time we go to a hockey game…..can you give me a ride on the Zamboni?" Sam's mouth dropped open, Jerry and the ladies looked at Sam slightly confused.

"Yah,...I'll see what I can do buddy."

They waited till they heard his food steps descend the stairs. Jerry and Traci stood in front of Sam and Andy.

"So, …..Leo thinks you might be ...Superman?" Traci asked with a smile.

"It's kind of a long story Trace." Said Andy

"Why don't ya give us the abridged version, eh buddy?" asked Jerry with a smirk.

After making them swear themselves to secrecy, especially from Oliver, Andy explained how she had started telling bedtime stories to Leo and how they starred Sam as the superhero. Sam explained how Leo had shared some of the stories with him and how he had told some stories projecting Andy in the same light. They explained that Leo was fascinated and determined to figure out who the superheroes were. They had planned on talking to Leo that night but he made his announcement before they got the chance.

"Jer, I swear if you say a word to Shaw I will never fix anything in this house ever again."

"Sammy, brother, I promise." he said slightly amused.

"Trace, …Oliver will be relentless, you know he will."

"Fine, fine. We won't say a word." She said as she walked toward the hallway. "Now let's go eat….. Wonder twins." She couldn't help but giggle.

"We'll be right down smartasses." Sam called after them.

Andy had her lips pressed tightly together to keep herself from smiling.

"I'm sorry Sam, this is all my fault. If I would have just…"

Sam kissed her before she could continue. He meant it to just stifle any apology but she snuggled up close to him and deepened the kiss and there was no chance he was stopping her.

Finally they pulled away from each other, just their foreheads touching.

"I don't really care. I liked hearing the stories. They're what got me through those three weeks. If I couldn't see you, couldn't talk to you…couldn't touch you….." (the last part she could swear his voice got deeper) "…Then hearing you talk about me, about us,…that was the next best thing."

"I liked the stories too. Made me feel close to you. Then of course, there was your t-shirt, which by the way you are not getting back then there was the picture."

"What picture?" he questioned

Andy took her cellphone out of her back pocket and pressed a button to show her screensaver of him and the Shaw girls.

Sam sighed and smiled. "Oliver."

"Oliver." She smiled

* * *

><p>Leo had a ball opening his gifts. The excitement in his voice seemed to raise an octave with each gift he opened. Before long he started to run out of steam. It had been a long day. Everyone said their goodbyes and started to make their way toward the street. Sam and Andy walked with the Shaw's to their car. They kissed the girls and Zoe good bye as they jumped in the minivan. Oliver kissed Andy on the cheek and grabbed Sam for a man hug. He stood back and smiled at the couple as he made his way to the driver's side. He stared for another minute before Sam finally said gruffly, "What Shaw?"<p>

"I was just thinking Sammy, …..Superman, Really? The Incredible Hulk maybe but Superman? No way."

"Night Shaw." Sam grabbed Andy's hand as they walked toward his truck.

"So my place or yours?"

"Mine." She said immediately. "It's closer."

Sam smiled and drove as fast as the law would allow. They were just seconds inside Andy's door when she threw her keys and purse to the floor and pushed him against the wall. She pulled his jacket off and left it in a heap on the floor then started to kiss his neck and slowly unbutton his shirt.

"Uh, Andy, what do you think you're doing?" he said coyly

"Just checking."

"Checking for what?"

"An** S** on your chest." She grinned.


End file.
